Looking Back

Looking back at my time as a social work and Spanish major at Boise State, my education has played a significant role in shaping me into who I am currently. I have developed and learned a wide variety of skills in both of my majors, ranging from leadership and assertive communication skills in order to facilitate group sessions in social work to broadening my interpersonal skills by learning about Spanish culture and spending a month studying in Spain. Learning Spanish in college was an eye-opening experience for me, as I started off with twelve years of Spanish already under my belt, thinking I knew a lot. Little did I know there was so much more to learn about the Spanish language. I have learned how to properly communicate in verbal and written form in the correct verb tenses, as well as read, analyze, and write poetry in Spanish. I also learned a lot about Spanish culture in the past and in current times, which has helped me grow as a person getting to learn about a culture and getting the opportunity to immerse myself in that culture.

Looking Forward

Looking forward, I am one semester away from being the first college graduate in my family. I plan to use my education to pursue a career in social work, essentially working with children. I feel strongly about speaking up for what is right and treating individuals as humans just like myself. No matter who you are or what your life story is, nobody deserves to be judged for their past, and I am determined to be the reassurance that anything is achievable with a little helping hand. I will be the voice for those who have exhausted their own and provide a safe haven for those unwilling to trust anyone else. Also, I plan on using my language skills to broaden the client population that I offer help to since I can communicate with any individuals who are only able to speak in Spanish.

Next Steps

Some of the next steps that I plan on taking in order to accomplish my vision and goals include expanding my knowledge and getting my master’s degree in social work while also having an internship at a child advocacy center. I will also be working towards an SSI/SSDI advocacy certificate at my current internship for adults who are experiencing or at risk for homelessness. I will then go on working towards obtaining a certificate for child SSI/SSDI advocacy as well. As for my next steps in my language journey, I will practice speaking Spanish with other Spanish speakers so that I can maintain my language proficiency.