Student Reflection: Why I decided to take SPAN 232

by Natalie Bodmer

First, let me introduce myself. My name is Natalie and I am a senior, graduating in May with a double major in Spanish and Chemistry. Spanish has always been a passion of mine, so I decided to double major in Spanish when I was a freshman. My Spanish classes always came as a welcome change to the huge lecture halls my Chemistry classes were in. In my Spanish classes I was able to practice my speaking and work with other students in a smaller classroom. I studied abroad in Granada, Spain the fall semester of my junior year, which was one of the best experiences of my life! Living with a local family who did not know any English really immersed me in the culture and I could see how rapidly my Spanish was improving by using it all day, every day. When I came back, I missed speaking Spanish outside of class. I also missed using my Spanish in the community, and felt like I was losing all the progress that I had made while I lived in Spain. I had heard about the Spanish in the community course and everyone I talked to said they it was a wonderful experience.

Reasons why I signed up for Span 232:

  • To use my Spanish outside of the classroom, and more specifically practice speaking Spanish more

  • To become more involved in the community in which I had been attending school for over 3 years

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