“From study abroad, to internships, to on-campus opportunities, the professors in the MLLC department are always supportive of their students and have their best interests in mind.”
Michaela is a senior Spanish, LALACS, and Film Studies major and Russian & Eastern European Studies minor from Greenville, Wisconsin. Her curiosity for the Spanish language initially began in high school, as she felt a strong engagement in her Spanish classes. When she came to Gustavus, Michaela’s “curiosity for the Spanish language and culture was deepened.”
Something that Michaela appreciates about the Modern Languages, Literatures and Cultures Department is its intersection with many other areas of study and the diversity of students within the department. Of her Spanish major in particular, Michaela enjoys the community service aspect, in which students are able to “engage with the Hispanic community in St. Peter and envision how our language skills and cultural understanding may apply to our future careers.”
Michaela’s opportunities to study abroad have also influenced her love for the Spanish language. She was able to do a study abroad program in Spain her freshman year, in which “we took language and history courses and also had an internship with a local organization.” She also studied abroad in Buenos Aires, Argentina. This experience allowed her “to fulfill requirements for all my majors, and living in a Spanish speaking country improved my language abilities immensely.” Of this experience, she says it was something that “shaped my personal and academic life in ways that nothing else could have.”
Michaela has also appreciated the faculty in the MLLC department, particularly Professors Ana Adams and Annalise Rivas. “They are genuinely invested in my current studies as well as my future, and I know I can go to them for support.”
Outside of the classroom, Michaela is involved in other things on campus, including Sigma Delta Pi, the Gustavus Wind Orchestra, and the Gustavian Weekly.