It wasn’t until I took German 101 in 2010 with Frau Martin that I truly realized how much I actually enjoy learning languages. I didn’t really think anything of it at the time, but even through middle school and high school I was learning languages. Spanish, ASL, even a little bit of Tolkien’s Dwarvish and Elvish. But it wasn’t until that first German class at Iowa State University, that it really hit me, that languages could be so fascinating and could completely alter the way you perceive the world around you. From there I decided to pursue a German major, I love the organization and consistency of the German language. And as I learned more and more German, I came to also appreciate the English language, and as I added my Linguistics major, I could more fully express my adoration and interest of not just the English language, but also of the other languages I am learning.
Shortly after beginning with my German studies, I decided to pursue Russian as well. While learning a new alphabet and sounds was difficult, the satisfaction being able to speak what many consider to be “one of the hardest languages to learn” paled in comparison with the opportunity to learn such a beautiful and rich language.
I plan on continuing and growing my foreign language repertoire and I hope to travel to as many countries as possible, no matter the language barrier. Career-wise I will be commissioning in the US Army as an officer in Military Intelligence, and although I may not be utilizing all of the academic skills I’ve learned here at ISU, I will continue my pursuit of knowledge in all areas of language and linguistics.