Stories
Jamison Feske
Meet Jamison
Spanish Education, B.S., NDSU
Spanish, B.A., NDSU
Currently, I am a law student at the University of St. Thomas School of Law in Minneapolis, Minnesota. After graduating from NDSU, I worked for one year as an English Language and Culture Assistant in Aranda de Duero, Spain through the NALCAP program. I then worked as a bilingual paralegal at an immigration law firm for a few years before starting law school.
How did your time as a Spanish major prepare you for graduate school/career/life?
My time as a Spanish major taught me valuable interpersonal skills that have helped me in my professional life. By living abroad, I met people from all over the world, exposing me to numerous interactions with people of diverse cultures and perspectives. As a result, my Spanish-speaking clients at the law firm expressed greater trust in me since I spoke their language. In addition, knowing Spanish has set me apart from other applicants, and it is often a talking point in job interviews. I know it will prove to be beneficial in my future career as an attorney, as it will help me connect with more clients.
What advice would you give to someone considering a Spanish major?
As cliché as it sounds, don’t let mistakes embarrass you. Use them as a learning tool. Language learning is a lifelong journey, and we all make mistakes when speaking and writing, even in our native language.
Also, consider studying abroad in a city without a lot of tourism and in a country that you may not have considered traveling to. I studied in Cordoba, Argentina, and my Spanish improved immensely, as I had to rely on it for all daily interactions. This deep immersion is something you may not experience in a touristy place.
Is there anything else you’d like to share?
Studying Spanish and living abroad was a formative part of my young adulthood. It is integral to the music and media I consume daily and led me to meet several important people in my life, including my fiancée.