Ashley Gora
Class Year
2013
Area(s) of Study
Spanish and international relations
Hometown
Crystal Lake, Illinois
Co-curricular
Phi Sigma Iota
Spanish table
French table
Latinos Unidos
Internships
Data Analyst and Translator, Monteverde Institute
English teacher while abroad in Granada
Communications and Program Assistant, Monteverde Community Fund
Achievements
Thesis with distinction
Graduate Study
MA, International Environmental Policy
MBA, Global Impact Management
Middlebury Institute of International Studies, Monterey, California
Current Job
Program Coordination Assistant, Lyceum of Monterey County in California
How did you choose your area of study?
Time and life experiences teach you where your passions lie and what you are good at. The intersection of those spheres for me revealed itself during my sophomore year. It was clear that I loved the Spanish language, Latin America, travel, and the environment, and that somewhere in the world there would be a career that encompassed all of these facets. Choosing my fields of study was just like creating stepping stones to the next stages of my career.
The faculty are all are simply fantastic. Faculty in the Modern Languages and Literatures department are professional and talented, yet also personable and truly care for their students. I greatly admire those who I have come to know well throughout my undergraduate years, and deem much of my success to their encouragement.
More information to share?
Learning a second (or third, or fourth!) language opens many doors both professionally and socially. It also makes study abroad a much richer experience. Both studying a language and going abroad provide you with a wider worldview, and that’s important because in order to make the greatest impact and solve the world’s biggest issues, we must be united as intercultural and multidisciplinary teams.