A Reflection of my time at CSUMB:
I chose to study Spanish because it was the one topic throughout high school and even middle school that always seemed to fascinate me. The language is capturing when you hear others speak it and the culture is so rich and diverse and for this reason I chose to study Spanish further. When I originally chose to study Spanish at CSU Monterey Bay, I went into with a mindset that I would be here to study and better my speech in Spanish and by the end of my four years I would become a Spanish teacher for elementary or high school students. However, over the course of my four years at CSUMB, I have changed my mind drastically.
Over the course of four years I have been exposed to many different Spanish-speaking countries around the world as well as the large Latino community that can be found surrounding CSUMB. Through my two Service Learning classes and my job as a Service Learning Student Leader on campus, I was given the opportunity to be part of this community and learn more from them as well as practice my Spanish and be part of the culture. I am very thankful for my job as a Service Learning Student Leader because during my year and a half in this position I was able to learn a lot about myself and realize that teaching is not the main thing I would like to do with my Spanish Major.
I would really like to use my Spanish Major to continue forward with Service Learning and giving back to the community. It is something I feel very strongly and passionate about and I would like to get more involved. I feel that Spanish-speaking people in this country are not given as many opportunities as others and are not always treated with the respect they deserve and I would really like to be part of the social change that can make the change happen.
I have also found that after spending a year abroad in South America I truly want to be out in the world again applying what I have learned from Service Learning and working around the world to bring social change as well. With that said, when I graduate from CSUMB I would like to continue my education by applying for graduate school at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies where I can study further the Spanish Language through a Master’s Degree in TESL(Teaching English as a Second Language) which will give me the opportunity to go abroad in the Peace Corps for two years to teach abroad and work in a community in a third world country.
I’ve truly enjoyed the four years I spent at CSUMB and as I look back on my years here I can definitely say that I am leaving a different person than I was when I started. I’ve left with more knowledge than I thought I would acquire in the beginning and a diverse understanding of the Spanish Language, which I cannot wait to apply to my career and graduate school.
Over the course of four years I have been exposed to many different Spanish-speaking countries around the world as well as the large Latino community that can be found surrounding CSUMB. Through my two Service Learning classes and my job as a Service Learning Student Leader on campus, I was given the opportunity to be part of this community and learn more from them as well as practice my Spanish and be part of the culture. I am very thankful for my job as a Service Learning Student Leader because during my year and a half in this position I was able to learn a lot about myself and realize that teaching is not the main thing I would like to do with my Spanish Major.
I would really like to use my Spanish Major to continue forward with Service Learning and giving back to the community. It is something I feel very strongly and passionate about and I would like to get more involved. I feel that Spanish-speaking people in this country are not given as many opportunities as others and are not always treated with the respect they deserve and I would really like to be part of the social change that can make the change happen.
I have also found that after spending a year abroad in South America I truly want to be out in the world again applying what I have learned from Service Learning and working around the world to bring social change as well. With that said, when I graduate from CSUMB I would like to continue my education by applying for graduate school at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies where I can study further the Spanish Language through a Master’s Degree in TESL(Teaching English as a Second Language) which will give me the opportunity to go abroad in the Peace Corps for two years to teach abroad and work in a community in a third world country.
I’ve truly enjoyed the four years I spent at CSUMB and as I look back on my years here I can definitely say that I am leaving a different person than I was when I started. I’ve left with more knowledge than I thought I would acquire in the beginning and a diverse understanding of the Spanish Language, which I cannot wait to apply to my career and graduate school.