Trilingual Communication
“I connected with the communities I was serving by communicating with lawyers, immigration officials, and youth in their own languages.”
Major: Romance Languages, Non-profit Organizations Nexus
Internships: YMCA; Camp Boggy Creek; WeCount!
Employer: PGA of America
Studying Romance Languages throughout college often led those around me to wonder what I could possibly hope to do with such an abstract degree. Outside of working as a translator or a teacher, few could see the use of my studies. And while I work in what seems to be a completely unrelated field, my studies have helped me achieve the impossible.
Throughout my time at ŷAV, I interned and worked for quite a few different nonprofits- YMCA, Camp Boggy Creek and WeCount!, to name a few. During my time in each of these organizations, I was able to use my language skills to better connect with the communities I was serving by communicating with lawyers, immigration officials, and by teaching youth in their primary languages.
After graduating, I returned to Miami to work for the United Way as a Loan Executive, where I learned invaluable skills in public speaking and was able to further use my language skills to write grant proposals and promote a sense of community for the different retail organizations whose fundraising campaigns I ran. While I almost never wrote in English during my time at ŷAV, understanding three languages (French, Spanish, English) really made communicating a breeze.
Although I am no longer as immersed in community projects, I am hoping to bring more of my wonderful ŷAV experiences to my current position with my local PGA Section. Admittedly, golf has never really been my thing, but I'm hoping through my time here, I can open this sport up to those who never thought it was possible- and learn to love it myself.