Student Profile: Emily Katz

Emily Katz
Class of 2020

Bryant University is often known for being one of the three “B’s” of the business schools in New England. I mean, that is why I decided to come to Bryant. However, I had no idea what Bryant would offer me in the world of Modern Languages. Throughout high school, I had always loved learning Spanish and I was lucky enough to have an amazing language program at my high school. Having such an amazing experience with Spanish in high school influenced my decision to enter Bryant as an International Business major. I have always dreamed of studying abroad in a Spanish speaking country, and by majoring in International Business, I now have the opportunity to do so, as I touch upon down below.

One of the requirements of an International Business degree is to minor in a modern language. Sure, I could have only minored in Spanish, but I decided to fill my open credits with Spanish classes and bumped my minor up to a major. Even further than that, I have the opportunity to earn a dual degree; a Bachelor of Science in International Business and a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish. This is pretty rare, and only a few students in Bryant’s history have majored in a modern language. I feel blessed to have the credits from high school to be able to earn a second degree and to experience the number of Spanish classes I have been able to take.

Another requirement of an International Business degree is a study abroad experience. I have chosen to study abroad in Chile during the fall semester of my Junior year. I had the choice to study in either Spain or Chile, but having already been to Europe and knowing the level of English spoken in both countries, Chile became the obvious choice for me. I personally feel that study abroad is the best chance to increase my proficiency in Spanish and I want to take full advantage of the opportunity to do so. I know that my fluency will increase dramatically after living with a host family and studying at the University in Chile.

While I am in Chile, I plan to start to collect research for my Honors Capstone project. I will be working with Professor Heather Moon to craft my topic and determine the best methods of research collection. No matter what topic I choose, I know that my study abroad experience will give me the first-hand knowledge and observations that I need to present an interesting and informative capstone project. Not only will observing and communicating with the Chilean natives help my language skills, but it will also teach me the norms of Spanish communication styles that I will use in my future career.

With these increased language skills, I will be better prepared for my career in the future. I do not know exactly what I want to do for my career yet, but I know that I definitely want to work for a company where I can frequently use my Spanish skills. In addition to double majoring in International Business and Spanish, I am double concentrating in Global Supply Chain Management and Applied Analytics. With this combination of studies, I set myself up for a career that is international by definition. I imagine myself traveling often and not staying in the same place for too long.

Reflecting back on my almost two years here at Bryant, I could not ask for a better experience. Bryant has given me an amazing education that has been the perfect combination of business and the arts. For those interested in pursuing an education at Bryant in a modern language, I could not recommend it more. I can only speak for the Spanish program here, but increasing your language skills even just a little bit will set you apart from the competition when applying for internships and jobs. Do not be afraid of foreign languages, embrace them!