Madison Stewart

Degree: Bachelor of Arts, Modern Languages – Arabic; Bachelor of Arts, International Studies – Security & Diplomacy; Minor in Military Science

Career: Commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army in May 2018 and currently attends Flight School at Fort Rucker, AL.

“It may seem out of the ordinary that an Arabic language and International Studies major decided to pursue a career in Aviation. While not the most obvious path, it is one that’s opened many doors for me. My foreign language education not only assisted me in getting into Flight School, but it’s connected me to the Aviation community as a whole. People from countries around the world come to Fort Rucker to learn to fly helicopters. I’ve met several international and U.S. Army aviators with similar academic and foreign language backgrounds, trained in school and also by the Army. Their stories and careers serve as a huge inspiration for my own career goals. I am excited for the prospects of continuing my Arabic language education in conjunction with advancing my career as an Army Officer.”

Cody Turner

Degree: Bachelor of Arts, Modern Languages – Chinese

“I started learning Chinese in the Fall of 2016. I immediately fell in love with it. I ended up completely changing my major from geology to Chinese because I knew that I could go farther with it, although I completely underestimated how far it would take me. I ended up completing the entire Chinese course in roughly two years and graduated in the Fall of 2018. I was the first ever graduate from Georgia Southern with a major in Chinese. I do need to send out a big thank you to my professors Zuotang Zhang, Ru Li, Yanjie Pang and Juan Zhao for aiding me along in my journey. I am now an English Professor at North China University of Water Resources and Electric Power in Zhengzhou, Henan. My journey is far from over, but without Chinese, I don’t believe I would be where I am today.”

Chloé McLellan

Degree: B.A., Modern Languages – French

Career: Flight Attendant for Spirit Airlines

“Through studying French at Georgia Southern University, I was granted opportunities to learn and grow that have shaped who I am today. Working in the airline industry, being bilingual has proven to be extremely beneficial. From French passengers exploring the United States, Central and South America, and the Caribbean to Haitian passengers on flights back home, speaking French allows me to help make traveling an enjoyable experience for those who may not speak English fluently. As a student, I was fortunate enough to be able to study abroad in France twice. These opportunities sparked a love of travel that I am now lucky enough to do on a daily basis. Getting the chance to be a foreigner in an unfamiliar country taught me the importance of patience, tolerance, and independence. I learned first hand that we are all much more alike than we are different, regardless of race or religion. I am extremely grateful to my French professors, who served as influential mentors throughout my time at Georgia Southern. They prepared me for where I am today by encouraging my curiosity to explore, teaching me how to effectively communicate with target audiences with confidence, and encouraging me to embrace cultural differences.”

Jordan Howard

Degree: B.S. in International Trade, Minor in German; Currently an M.S. in Business Analytics Candidate at UT – Dallas

Career: Data & Reporting Analyst at Briggs Equipment

“After graduating in May of 2017, I began an internship at Briggs Equipment’s Atlanta office for the summer and was relocated to our corporate office in Dallas, Texas, shortly thereafter. Although I am an IT (Information Technology, not International Trade) professional, I must give some credit to my knowledge of the German language and the Foreign Language Department’s German Language faculty for the successes I have had as an employee at Briggs. Interestingly, I have found that the approaches taught by my German professors can be applied to working with programming/query languages I use for retrieving and analyzing data. Ultimately, knowing the syntax and being a continuous learner are key. I am also fortunate to travel and work with our domestic and international locations. These opportunities frequently allow me the chance to step out of my comfort zone, which is something that I realized through learning a foreign language is a great opportunity for personal and professional growth.”

Kari Greenway

Degree: Spanish M.A.

Career: Spanish teacher- currently at Islands High School in Savannah

“Getting my Masters in Spanish from Georgia Southern led me to find my calling! I began teaching as a graduate assistant at GSU. I then stayed on for a year as adjunct faculty, after which I moved back to Savannah and taught elementary and middle school at Garrison School for Visual and Performing Arts for 4 years, and I currently going on my 6th year at Islands High School. am I started as a teaching assistant at GSU and it was then that I discovered my passion for teaching! I realized how fun teaching was for me and how it just came naturally. Ever since, I have been teaching Spanish and loving every minute of it! I have taken what I learned as a teaching assistant and the knowledge I gained through my classes to create fun, proficiency-based classes for ages as young as 6 all the way to college level. And all the great teachers I had at Southern have had an influence on my teaching- I’ve passed on my knowledge that they instilled in me, borrowed ideas for activities they used in my courses, and I inspire to pass on my passion for the language just as my professors did.”

Kayla Cobb

Degree: B.S. Physical Therapy, Spanish minor

“I took Spanish classes just to fulfill my core classes, not knowing that l’d fall in love with it. After taking a couple of classes, I decided to pursue my minor in Spanish and studied abroad in Costa Rica for a month. It was then when my love and passion for Spanish culture was solidified. My minor has helped me in many aspects of my life. I can bond and communicate with the Spanish patients in the clinics and I’ve continued to visit other Spanish countries and explore more of the culture.”

Spencer Martin Govea

Degree: Bachelor of Arts, Modern Languages – Spanish; Master of Arts, Spanish Language and Literature

Career: Currently work for Bridgestone Americas, Inc. as the Business Planning Manager for the Corporate Procurement department.

“Receiving two degrees from CLASS prepared me for the corporate world in many ways. First, being bilingual is a huge advantage when working for a global company. I use Spanish every single day in my job while interacting with our teammates in many countries across Latin America. I have even learned enough Portuguese to be able to communicate effectively with our Brazil team. Second, my research skills and ability to interpret ideas and summarize have been extremely useful. A big part of my job is researching issues and pulling information into reports that are sent to company Executives. I have to be able to summarize efficiently while still including enough details and examples for complete understanding. This wouldn’t have been possible without learning how to research, how to write papers, and how to formulate your words according to your target audience. THANK YOU to all of my professors who prepared me for where I am today!”

Lydia Morris Willoughby

“I began working for International Student Admissions and Programs at Georgia Southern in January 2020 — one month after graduating with my Masters in Spanish from the Department of World Languages & Cultures. All the years I spent getting both my undergraduate and graduate degrees in this department – studying abroad in Spain, traveling to Mexico, and being immersed in the multicultural faculty – taught me to be ‘una ciudadana global’, a true global citizen, with genuine care for and interest in those from different cultures than mine. There’s no doubt in my mind that I wouldn’t be who I am without all I learned from the World Languages & Cultures faculty, nor would I have the opportunity that I have now to work with students from all over the world! I am truly grateful!”

Angela Williams

Degree: B.A. World Languages, Spanish

Career: Spanish teacher at Esther F. Garrison School for the Arts

“Majoring in World Languages and Cultures has helped me immensely in my job as a Spanish teacher. I have been able to use my degree to expose students to a new language, new ways of thinking, increasing cultural awareness, and advocating for social justice. I am also able to connect our Spanish speaking families to the larger school community and advocate for their needs.”

Kelvin Escolero

Degree: B.A. in Spanish, dual enrollment in M.A. and M.A.T. in Spanish

Career: Spanish teacher

“Going into college I knew that I wanted to go into the education field, but I never thought that I would be teaching a language. I am currently teaching Upper School Spanish 1 in Savannah, Ga. Majoring in modern languages has helped me open those doors into the education field not only by teaching my students a different language, but by educating everyone around me with all of the valuable information I learned throughout my years at Georgia Southern University.
With language comes culture and with culture there are so many stories behind the person sitting right next you. Diversity is what makes this country great so let’s learn about different cultures and educate others about them!”

Natalie Torres

Degree: B.A. World Languages, Spanish

Career: Spanish teacher

“Majoring in World Languages and Cultures has opened all kinds of doors for me. I knew that as a Spanish teacher I could teach anywhere in the United States. I sure put it to a test having been able to teach in Georgia, Texas and currently in New Jersey. It also gave me the opportunity to see another part of the world, South Korea. If it hadn’t been for another language requisite I wouldn’t have had the courage to start traveling. After that I’ve traveled places I never imagined I would see and grown so much more.”

Gilbert Lewis

Career: Physician Assistant

“I am currently working as a Physician Assistant in Augusta, Georgia. I work at a non-profit faith-based clinic that serves all patients, including those who are uninsured. All of my new patients here are Spanish-speaking. Having an advanced degree in Spanish has been helpful, not only to improve health outcomes in the Spanish-speaking community here but to also spread awareness of their needs while coordinating medical care with a diverse team of specialists and medical providers.”

Ansley Callan

Major: English and Spanish double major

Career: Legal Counsel, Volvo Group North America

“Georgia Southern prepared me for success in law school and my legal career by providing me with intellectual and academic challenges that required me to think critically and manage my time wisely. Thanks to Georgia Southern’s dual enrollment program and opportunities such as summer semesters, I was able to graduate with a double major at age 20.”

Dinshaw Anklesaria

Degree: dual enrollment in M.A. and M.A.T. in Spanish

“¿¡Qué tal, mis águilas?! What’s up, Eagles? My name is Dinshaw Anklesaria. I graduated with my Masters of Arts in Spanish in May 2015 and my Masters of Arts in Teaching in December 2015. Continuing my studies of a world language l has been a constant throughout my life, from middle school till even now. I minored in Spanish at UGA during my undergraduate studies in business and received my masters here at Eagle Nation. Throughout my career, knowing a world language, whether in the business world or in my current profession as a world language educator, has given me amazing opportunities. Before GA Southern, I worked at my father’s business and me knowing Spanish allowed me to expand the business’s clientele to the Hispanic community, to provide a more personable customer experience and to increase the business’s brand visibility thanks to my bilingual marketing initiatives, all leading to better financial performance of the company. Helping others, however, is my real passion and I knew world language education was for me. The rate of employment for a world language educator is exceptionally high and demand for us is always in existence, across a variety of settings and academic levels. Due to my language abilities, I can communicate directly to my Hispanic students’ parents and I can assist my school during events like registration, etc, all of which makes me an asset. Simply put-knowing a world language will somehow lead to more connections with people, more money (due to more clients/patients, etc) and a better sense of community realizing we have more in common than different, all of which will allow us to Soar to New Heights! ¡Vamos!”

Bruny Negroni

Degree: Spanish MAT

Career: Spanish teacher- currently at Effingham County High School

“My name is Bruny Negroni-Martínez and I’m from Puerto Rico. I moved to Georgia in 2019. I live with my husband Henry, my three children and our lovely Louie. Currently I am teaching Spanish 3 and AP Spanish at Effingham County High School. I’m so happy that I decided to major in World Language because I have been able to teach students the language including the diversity, culture and this has encouraged them to keep studying the language at the college level. It was an honor for me to be part of the GSU Foreign Language Department. I learned a lot from them and those skills are helping me become a better teacher in the classroom. It’s an honor and a blessing to be part of the MA/MAT program.”

Jodi Ogden

Major: B.A. in Spanish; M.A. in Spanish

Career: High School Spanish Teacher / Foreign Language Department Chair (and SGA Sponsor, EF Coordinator, New Teacher Mentor, and Junior Class Sponsor)

“My professors at Georgia Southern were instrumental in my preparation to become an engaging teacher and an effective leader. They not only focused on my academic success but also took the time to focus on me as a person and helped me develop the qualities that I needed to effectively lead my department. I can genuinely say that I would not be the person that I am without the training that select professors such as Leticia McGrath, David Alley, Michael McGrath, and Jorge Suazo, gave me in the Foreign Language Department.”

Andrea Baxter

Degree: dual enrollment in M.A. and M.A.T. in Spanish

“I’ve always had a strong interest for the Spanish language and culture ever since taking classes in high school. When I came to college, I just had it in my mind to take Spanish classes to complete an area for my core classes. It wasn’t until I started taking more and more classes and going on study abroad trips that I realized my love for Spanish.

At first, I started by minoring in Spanish. Then, I discovered that if I took a few more classes, I could major in Spanish. This worked out perfectly with my first major, and it set me on the path to earn my MA/MAT in Spanish. Learning Spanish has opened many doors for me, and I’m excited to where it will take me in the future!”

Caleb Wilemon

Degree: dual enrollment in M.A. and M.A.T. in Spanish

Career: Spanish teacher

“Going through the MA/ MAT Spanish program at Georgia Southern not only made me highly employable in a field that is already in need of teachers, it also gave me the tools to create a classroom environment where learning Spanish is fun and challenging for my students. The communicative approach of GSU’s program taught me how to facilitate natural language learning that actually works! My students are able to have basic conversations in Spanish after their very first semester and that’s something I owe to the training I received right here.”

Danielle B. Barefoot

Degree: History and Modern Languages, Spanish
University Honors Program, cum laude

Career: Ph.D. Candidate in History (Latin America emphasis, minors in World History and Higher Education), currently completing dissertation research as a 2017-18 Fulbright Scholar.

“Georgia Southern offered a rigorous, mentally stimulating education that prepared me for doctoral studies and laid the groundwork for my career as a historian. I pursued a double major in History and Modern Languages (Spanish) that I use daily in my studies, teaching, and research. Two especially memorable experiences were the language intensive Segovia Study Abroad program and completing my undergraduate honors thesis on the Lost Generation of World War I.”

Carmen Sosa-Escobar

Degree: M.A. in World Languages, Spanish

Career: Spanish teacher at Savannah Christian Preparatory School

“Majoring in World Languages has contributed to my employability in a major way. I have great cultural awareness and the ability to teach my native tongue to speakers of another language. In gaining my degree I learned a great deal of communication and leadership skills, as well as being creative in my lesson planning to keep my students engaged. My students are learning a great deal of culture, while learning a second language. My major has also taught me how to accommodate different learning styles and all be able to keep students motivated.  Having all these skills allows me to fulfill my job duties as a Foreign Language teacher.”

Tressia Quattlebaum

Degree: B.A. World Languages, Spanish; B.S in Communication Science and Disorders

Career: Spanish teacher at Savannah Christian Preparatory School

“After receiving both her Bachelors of Arts in Spanish and Bachelors of Science in Communication Science and Disorders in May of 2018, Tressia participated in an immersive experience in Spain for eight months before moving to Houston, Texas to obtain her Masters in Communication Sciences. She is currently in her Clinical Fellowship Year as a Bilingual Speech Language Pathologist at Kids Developmental Clinic. Her goal is to work in a Pediatric Hospital setting. She is thankful for her outstanding and unforgettable education at Georgia Southern University with amazing professors.”