Lisa WilliamsThe Latin American Studies major allowed me to learn Spanish while also gaining an appreciation for and understanding of Latin American history and cultures. I enjoyed being able to take courses from different departments and I feel it gave me a broader base of understanding. As with most people, studying abroad in Ecuador changed my life and increased my interest in Latin America. Now I am working as a court advocate for a domestic violence agency near Chicago. Approximately half of my clients are Spanish-speaking, so I have the opportunity to use my Spanish every day. I love seeing how relieved many women are when they come to court and find out that they can speak to an advocate in their native language. It makes the whole process at least a little more comfortable for them.Last year I had the opportunity to form part of a peace delegation to El Salvador, where we observed several different community-based farming cooperatives. I hope to travel more in Latin America, and maybe even spend some time working for community programs such as these.
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