Tell us about yourself?
My name is Nancy Valencia, I attended UCLA from September 2015 to June 2021. I received my Bachelor’s degree in 2019 and my master’s degree in 2021. I enjoy hiking and traveling! I love helping people and above all teaching. I am currently an elementary school teacher, but will be applying to law school after clearing my teaching credential.
How did your undergraduate degree in the Spanish & Portuguese department help you in your career path?
I studied Spanish at UCLA to learn how to speak it and write it “properly” and along the way I cam across service learning and linguistics courses that showed me the value of Spanish. I translated documents for people and worked with the community. I fell in love with Spanish literature and even considered applying for a PhD in Spanish (that is still an option), but I decided to give teaching a chance. Thanks to my undergraduate degree in Spanish I am able to teach a dual language immersion class and teach both native and non-native speakers. I love where my degree has taken me and the places it will take me. If I apply to law school I know my knowledge of Spanish will be a bonus and if I choose to get a PhD in Spanish literature, well I already have an advantage. I appreciate the knowledge I received through my degree in Spanish. I am grateful to have learned to value the language and culture while at the same time learning about its academic components.
What career advice would you share with a current undergraduate student in the Spanish & Portuguese department?
Whenever someone asks “why are you studying Spanish?” simply list the endless number of jobs this degree has to offer.
Remember that languages are bridges between cultures and you are building that bridge for yourself with every course you take.
Keep in touch with your professors! They are amazing and will continue to help you open new doors! Thank you Professor Suhr! ❤
Share two interesting facts about yourself?
#1 I was senior of the year for the S&P Department in 2019. #2 I hiked a glacier in Alaska and witnessed glacier movement. The intensity of the crack as it moved was breathtaking.