Graduate Profiles

Matthew Warren ’20

“Enrolling in the Butler University Spanish Department unleashed my potential to become a beacon in a globalized world during both my grad school tenure and law firm career.  The department’s exceptional guidance and immersive approach to language and culture opened doors to international perspectives and opportunities.  Thanks to the skills and insights I gained, I’ve not only excelled academically but also navigated the complexities of a globalized legal environment with confidence and competence.”

James Arthur ’17

“The skills I leaned from Butler’s Department of Modern Languages have helped me in every facet of running a restaurant, from customer service to hiring employees, from purchasing products from vendors to planning private dining room events, and everything in between.”

Gabriella Arnold ’22

“The freedom and encouragement given to me by Butler’s Modern Languages Program allowed me to pursue my interests and gave me confidence in my ability to think for myself and keep learning outside of a school setting. Now I work as a multilingual legal assistant at an immigration law firm and am applying to law school.”

Jacqueline Bickhaus ’23

“The skills that I strengthened while completing my Spanish major at Butler helped me grow my confidence in my language abilities. Specifically, studying abroad in Alcalá de Henares pushed me beyond my comfort zone and greatly improved my Spanish, which I now feel very comfortable with when speaking with a lot of my students everyday.”

Mary Hermann ’20

“The skills I learned from studying Spanish at Butler have translated into my work as a software developer by improving my literacy and communication. There have also been multiple occasions where knowing another language has proven invaluable.”

Elizabeth (Miller) Preston ’22

“I currently work as an Operations Analyst, and the communication skills that are developed when learning a language have been very valuable.”

Elizabeth Sutherlin ’23

“I am studying for the MCAT, and it is my goal to use the Spanish language skills I acquired at Butler to complement my skills as a future physician, and hopefully help bridge accessibility gaps in healthcare. I had the opportunity to not only take medical Spanish classes at Butler, but also during my semester in Alcalá de Henares, Spain with the faculty-led program. Both of these experiences appealed to my future career goals, and I am so thankful for them!”

Marissa Schoedel ’18

“Being fluent in another language communicates more than just your language skills to potential employers. Living abroad forces you to adapt and learn to better read people. Those soft skills can’t be taught in the traditional sense.”

Erica Walters ’21

“I currently work for Boulder County, Colorado’s Office of Sustainability, Climate Action and Resilience to support businesses in taking sustainability measures. Being bilingual is such an asset in this space, as I use Spanish on a daily basis to communicate with small business owners. Equity is at the heart of climate change impacts and solutions, so language and cultural competencies I gained at Butler shape the way I approach environmental work.”

Meredith Gallagher ’19

“I’m currently in my fourth year of medical school at the University of Wisconsin, with plans to pursue a career in medical oncology. At Butler I double majored in biology and Spanish, and was fortunate to do an immersive study abroad program in Alcala, Spain where I lived with a host family and took classes at the local university. Through this experience, my language skills and confidence in speaking Spanish grew exponentially. These skills, along with the unwavering support from Butler professors, empowered me to apply for Fulbright research grant, which allowed me to live and do research in Lima prior to starting medical school. Now that I’m in a clinical role, I’m more grateful than every for my second language as it allows me to connect with Spanish-speaking patients and caregivers and provide a more personal patient-care experience.”

Samantha Owens ’22

“Working in the front office of a medical facility has given me many opportunities to use my Spanish to help patients with scheduling, paperwork, and more! I use it almost on a daily basis and it is always one of my favorite parts of my job to be able to help them!”

Taylor Hammond ’20

“You can do so many things with language that you wouldn’t ever imagine. I’m currently working as an electrical engineer at Volkswagen and knowing how to speak Spanish has opened so many doors for me since we work closely with Volkswagen in Mexico. I’ve even had the opportunity to travel to Mexico and do some training and networking. Having language skills can help in any job field you enter and give you so many more opportunities.”