Kiara Batista graduated from UMass in May of 2022 in the Honors program with a double major in Legal Studies and Portuguese.

“Spanish has helped connect me with many different types of people. I have been exposed to many different cultures of the Spanish world and each one is as beautiful as the last.”

Nick Jones is a linguistics and Spanish double-major. Spanish has provided Nick with many professional opportunities within the community, and he plans to pursue graduate studies at the University of Oxford in the UK.

“I initially chose Spanish for familial reasons. Along the way I decided that I wanted to pursue medicine at the same time, and that’s when Spanish took on a different meaning for me.”

Collin Bardwell is a class of 2020 alumnus from Hatfield, MA. He graduated with a B.Sc. in microbiology and a B.A. in Spanish. He works as an EMT in Springfield, MA, and plans to utilize his knowledge of Spanish in the medical field.
 

“There’s so much you can learn from your own heritage. Embrace your own ethnicity, embrace your upbringing, don’t shy away from it.”

Kelibeth Resto-Albelo is an alumna from Springfield, MA. She was born in Puerto Rico and was raised by a Puerto Rican family. As a Spanish major, Kelibeth was able to incorporate her heritage into her studies and supplement her bilingualism with professional skills.

“Youth development, diversity-inclusive practices, and global engagements are becoming more powerful and more implemented everyday.”

Will Jones first got involved working with the YMCA in Woodstock, Connecticut, during his time in college. He has since taken on increasing responsibility, and spent three and a half years in Madrid as the International Programs Coordinator at the YMCA of Spain.

"At UMass, I realized that learning Spanish is about immersing yourself in the cultures of the Spanish-speaking world. And that is why I decided to dive in and pursue my Spanish studies."

Victoria Abramchuk is an alumna from Agawan, MA. She graduated with three majors: Economics, Legal Studies, and Spanish. Her interest in Spanish comes from her passion for language and its power to connect people.