When I arrived at Wagner College in September 2003, I thought that my career in languages was over. However, completely by chance, the First-Year Learning Community in which I was placed was LC 16, also known as “The Spanish Connection.” This program required that I enroll in an accelerated Spanish language class, an English course, and a reflective tutorial in which we were sent out to practice our newfound linguistic skills by interviewing three native speakers about their experiences as Spanish speakers in a predominantly English-speaking environment. This Learning Community opened my eyes to possibilities beyond the borders of the college. At the end of my freshman year, I decided to commit myself to a major in Spanish.

Under the guidance of three amazing professors — Dr. Katica Urbanc, Dr. Marilyn Kiss, and Dr. Margarita Sánchez — I embarked on a journey of academic exploration and self-discovery. I read novels in Spanish, attended Spanish theater and cinema, and even spent a semester in Madrid, completely immersing myself in the language and culture, an experience that forever changed my perception of the world.

When I returned to campus for my final year of study, Dr. Urbanc helped me begin to prepare for my senior thesis. My topic developed from a course that I took as a junior, “Contemporary Hispanic Women Writers.” In this course, I was introduced to two authors who completely captivated me, Soledad Puértolas and Carmen Laforet. Although they are of two different generations, their works speak with equal profundity about the struggle of women to form an identity in a patriarchal world. My thesis encompassed not only the in-depth analysis of two of their novels, but also a history of the struggle of female writers to form a place in the Spanish literary canon, the techniques that are common to all of their literature, and the way in which these two authors have given a voice to the entire female population of Spain.

My senior RFT [reflective tutorial] took the form of a private tutorial for myself and one other classmate. We worked with Dr. Urbanc, putting to use the research skills we had gained in our four years at Wagner, working tirelessly to compose the many drafts that eventually became our theses. This course was taken in conjunction with a survey of Spanish literature, from the earliest cuentas to the magnificent Golden Age and even modern poetry. This class gave me a historical context in which I could place my own research, and it was vital to the process of writing my thesis.

Although it is not a requirement for the Spanish major, I chose to find an internship that would allow me the privilege of practicing my language skills in a real-life setting. At the suggestion of Dr. Urbanc, I contacted the Instituto Cervantes in Manhattan and secured a position for Spring 2007. The institute is a cultural center that seeks to spread knowledge of the Spanish language and culture throughout the world. I worked as an assistant in the academic department, helping to make information about classes and cultural events available to students and businesses, as well as in the Jorge Luis Borges Library, keeping the impressive collection of Spanish novels, plays, CDs, movies, and learning materials clean and accessible. The staff of the institute made me feel right at home and offered me the opportunity to practice and spread my passion for my new language.

My experience at the Instituto Cervantes, along with my semester abroad, were the best things that I have ever done for myself, because they taught me that my world is bigger than just a campus, or a major city, or even our country. They gave me the knowledge that I am a citizen of the world whose responsibility lies in understanding and appreciating cultures other than my own to aid in the constant struggle for peace. My work in the Spanish Department at Wagner College not only influenced my four years of college, but shaped the entirety of my future.

I could not have asked for a better educational experience or better professors to guide me along the way. Although I was never the best in my class, my professors stuck by me through my most difficult times, encouraging me to do better. They taught me that the best way to learn is by doing, and even went so far as to assign me various “homework for life” assignments, which they hope will ensure the continuation of my schooling as a student of the world. My plans for the future include more travel in Spain, Latin America and Mexico. I hope to continue my education with graduate work and eventually spread the knowledge I have gained to future generations, instilling in them my passion for la vida española.