Growing up in a diverse city, I was exposed to different cultures from a young age. Boise is home to many immigrants and refugees; through them, I met people from all over the world who spoke many languages. In high school, I loved learning Spanish and Latin, which sparked my passion for languages and cultures. This passion led me to study Foreign Languages in college, where I took Spanish, Italian, Latin, and Swahili. I also spent five months studying abroad in Spain, where I picked up a bit of Catalan and Romanian. After graduating, I moved to Italy for my master’s degree in International Relations, a field that combines world politics, economics, history, and languages. I wanted to study in Italy to continue learning from different perspectives and, of course, to enjoy pizza, pasta, and gelato! Lastly, I spent five months studying in Romania, which became my favorite country I studied in.
Outside of school, I dedicated a lot of my time in college to volunteering with refugees and immigrants, helping them adapt to life in the United States. I loved teaching them English while they, in turn, taught me about their home countries. In Boise, many refugees come from East and Central Africa, where Swahili is widely spoken. It’s actually the most spoken language in all of Africa!
