Why did you choose UNI?

I chose UNI because after visiting campus and speaking with various faculty and staff, it felt like a place where I would feel comfortable but also be challenged and encouraged to grow as a person.

What have you enjoyed the most about attending UNI?

I have enjoyed so many different aspects of my time at UNI. However, what I’ve enjoyed most has been the close friends I have made and the relationships I have developed with my faculty. Having the encouragement and support of faculty within both of my departments, Political Science and Languages & Literatures, has been why I accomplished so much over the past four years.

How did you become interested in your major? 

I started learning Spanish in seventh grade and continued through my senior year of high school. I knew I wanted to continue my studies in language when I accepted enrollment at UNI because I was passionate about translation and intercultural communication. I also knew I wanted to be able to study abroad in a Spanish-speaking country during college. 

My path to majoring in Political Science was a bit different. Since my first government class in high school, I have been interested in politics and how it impacts everything in our daily lives. I knew I did not want to be a politician, so I assumed the classes wouldn’t apply to me. However, in the fall of my freshman year, I enrolled in an honors introduction to American Politics class and I really enjoyed our class discussions. The following semester, I enrolled in an international politics course with Dr. Evan Renfro and discovered I was very interested in politics on a global scale and its relationship to language, culture, and human rights. With the encouragement of Doc Renfro, I declared both my Political Science major and my International Affairs minor before the end of my first year. My courses in the political science department have become a key aspect in developing my passion and specialization in the areas where language, culture, and politics overlap. 

What have been some of your favorite aspects of the major?

My favorite aspect about both of my majors is how they overlap and impact one another. Language and politics are concepts that affect my life, and everyone’s lives, every single day. It has been exciting and meaningful to identify how they intersect with issues discussed in my courses for each of them. The intersection of my areas of study was the starting point for my senior honors thesis research on language policy, which has been a very meaningful project. 

How have you been involved outside of the classroom?

During my time at UNI, I have been very involved outside the classroom. For three years I was an executive member of the student organization, Northern Iowa Feminists. I served as president of the group for two years and helped to organize and plan various outreach events for students and the Cedar Valley community. I helped to develop the student-led initiative that now provides free menstrual products to students in bathrooms across campus. Alongside other community members, I helped to organize the annual Cedar Valley Women’s March. 

During my sophomore year, I studied abroad in Costa Rica for the entire spring semester for my Spanish major and Translation minor. Then, during my junior year, I studied abroad in Greece for my Political Science major and International Affairs minor. Both of these experiences helped tremendously with the development of my knowledge and skills in both of my majors. After I returned from both trips, I have worked as a Peer Advisor in the Study Abroad Center where I help other students achieve their study abroad goals. 

During my senior year, I have been working as an intern for Workplace Languages, a corporate language solutions company headquartered in Minneapolis, MN. Through this internship, which I got through the Languages & Literatures department, I have been able to learn and develop my language translation skills as well as learn more about the language services field and make professional connections within the industry.

I have also worked to develop my senior honors thesis research on language access and attitudes in Iowa and Michigan, and their impacts on the political participation of Hispanic/Latine groups. This project has been heavily supported by my faculty within both the Political Science and L&L departments, which has been especially helpful and encouraging. 

What professors have been most influential through your time here at UNI?

So many professors have made a difference and been hands-on in my learning during my time at UNI. In the Political Science department: Doc Renfro, Dr. Ana Kogl, Dr. Donna Hoffman, and the department head, Dr. Scott Peters. Within the Languages & Literatures department: Dr. Elise DuBord, Dr. Jennifer Cooley, Dr. Juan Carlos Castillo, and my advisor, Elena Dobrila. Many faculty members beyond my professors and advisors have made additional contributions to my success at UNI, and I am grateful for each of them. 

What are your post-graduation plans?

After graduation in May, I will be moving to Des Moines and beginning work as a Language Specialist with my internship company, Workplace Languages. I am very excited!

How has UNI/your major helped prepare you for these plans?

My involvement at UNI and my studies in both of my majors have helped me become more than prepared for my future career path. From the content of my courses to my research efforts and involvement as a Language Specialist intern during my senior year, each of my experiences has strengthened a different aspect of my professional skill set. Beyond this though, my time at UNI has also helped me grow as a person and increased my abilities to problem-solve, be an independent thinker, and also recognize the importance of collaboration and teamwork with the people around me. 

What advice would you give to students who are considering this major?

To students who are considering a major in Political Science, just do it! Or at least try it out and enroll in a course or two to test the waters. Even if you are not interested in working directly in the political realm, there are aspects of politics and policy in everything around us. Learning more about governmental structures, patterns of power and influence, and global political dynamics and history will benefit any field you choose to enter in your future.  

For those who are interested in language, stick with it! Foreign language is something that strengthens countless aspects of your intercultural communication skills and deepens your understanding of cultures that may be different from your own. Similar to politics, language and culture have an impact on everything we do in our daily lives and how we interact with the people around us. These skills are incredibly valuable and marketable in the workforce and aid in your ability to work and connect with others. Plus, you can travel the world and interact with others with more ease!

Anything else you’d like to add?

I have LOVED my time at UNI and the past four years have flown by. I look back on each year with so much to be grateful for. I am very appreciative of all the opportunities I have been given and the achievements I have made with the support of the people around me.