RLL Undergraduate Majors and Minors

Emma went to Salamanca for one summer, the best part being the trips that Professor Sharonah Fredrick took the group on every day, exploring the historical parts of Salamanca. Emma was in an on-campus sorority, and was a Research Assistant in a Psychology Lab for a year.  She also had an internship as a Student Coach. Immediate plans include Graduate School in the fall; her long term goal is to become an elementary school teacher.  She hopes to be as caring towards her students as the RLL department.

Robert worked as an RA, and was a member of the UB Rowing team for three years.  He was an Orientation Leader for the incoming class of 2023 last summer. He completed the LAI496 internship twice and volunteered at Lafayette International School in Spring 2018 and Spring 2020.  Robert will be participating in the Teach in Madrid program with CIEE in August and also earning his TEFL certificate. He plans to become fluent in Spanish, then next French and Haitian Creole, so he can communicate better with family members and more people around the world.

Member, Sigma Delta Pi Spanish Honor Society.

Michael worked as a part-time tutor in English online and as a server at a restaurant.  He plans on pursuing a Master's degree in TESOL and working as an instructor in English Language Institutes abroad.

Maryna is a full time mom of two children, and hopes to use her language skills in one capacity or another.  Favorite RLL memories include the time Professor Graves made their class brioche when everyone was tired and hungry, and how they put together a hilarious story about aliens in French by picking cards in her advanced communication class.

In Fall 2018 Kerry studied abroad in Valparaiso, Chile, enjoying the amazing landscapes and varying geography. During her time at UB, she participated in club women’s lacrosse, ski club, and international student mentoring. She was a research assistant and volunteered her language skills in the Buffalo Public School System schools, also working at La Rosa's pizzeria.  She won a Provost’s scholarship, and also served as a mentor both in the Honors College and the international student cultural program.  Kerry will begin her graduate work at UB’s Graduate School of Education School. She would like to obtain initial ESOL certification, spend some time abroad, then get the permanent certification.  Long term goals included teaching ESL and/or Spanish somewhere in the world.

Kellen studied in Besançon, France, in the Spring of 2018. The best part was exploring the region and meeting his girlfriend there! Kellen was also a Libraries Student Assistant and organized the French Conversation Table. He will start a PhD in French at UB in the fall. He intends to continue studying French and other languages, and to learn how to play more musical instruments, including the piano, which he wants to be able to play proficiently! Best memories of RLL include going on art visits with Professor Negrete's class in Buffalo, interacting with classmates and Professor Negrete after the visits. He notes that the program provides an amazing sense of community. Kellen spent a lot of his time at UB doing work in the RLL lobby and interacting with faculty in passing; he loved passing time there.

Emily studied in Lille, France, for the spring of 2019, where her favorite memory is celebrating les Trois Joyeuses at the Carnival de Dunkerque with her Sciences Po friends! Emily was an alto in the UB Choir, Undergraduate Ambassador for CAS, and worked off-campus as a barista/food service worker.    She was a summer intern in the resettlement department of The Center, a resource center for refugees in her hometown. In Buffalo she volunteered at Journey's End and learned about the services they offer to those seeking asylum. Emily would like to earn a PhD, although she is currently split between French, Political Science, and possibly Public Health! The experience of acting out plays/scenes in FR 302 (and in 453, Bodies in Revolt) with Dr. Flaugh is the most memorable for her, going beyond just reading the words off the page -- it was rereading, rethinking, and reconstructing them in all of these different ways. She received the most helpful constructive criticisms in terms of writing/researching in RLL compared to any other program. The time that was set aside for instruction or assistance with using the UB library system was invaluable, not only do her best work in RLL classrooms, but also in her other departments/classes where the same skills were needed.

Elif studied in Madrid, Spain the summer following her junior year, highlights of which include traveling all around Spain and experiencing the beautiful culture, improving her Spanish and meeting new friends from all around the world. She still keeps in touch with all of them. Elif worked part-time at a daycare, especially during school breaks. She was a member of the Turkish GSA and Pakistani Student Association. She made the Dean's list, won a Wilma J. Newberry Scholarship to study in Spain, and a Walker Family Experiential Learning Scholarship. She interned with the non-profit La Fundación Talento MCR in Spain. During her time at UB, she also frequently volunteered at her family's dental practice.

The highlight of Alexa’s study abroad experience in Florence, Italy, was her amazing host family and all of the friends she made. During her time at UB she was a member and President of both the Italian Student Association and the Model European Union Club; an Orientation Team Leader, Student Assistant at the UB Orientation, Transition, and Parent Programs Office; and College of Arts and Sciences Ambassador. She also held an off campus job at DiCamillo’s Bakery. She was an Undergraduate Research Assistant and National Italian American Foundation Fellow; won a Provost Scholarship and the Grace W. Capen Award for Academic Excellence; and made the Dean’s List. Alexa will be starting her PhD in Political Science this fall at UC Davis; her long term goal is to be a professor of political science at a research university. Her ultimate dream would be to teach at a university in Italy.

Member, Gamma Kappa Alpha Italian Honor Society. 

Victoria studied abroad twice, first in Costa Rica and then in Ecuador. Her favorite experience in Costa Rica was watching the sun set in a yellow flower field when she and friends traveled to Cartago, a beautiful city in the mountains.  The highlight of her trip in Ecuador was a visit to Parque Histórico, a tourist attraction that consists of a zoo, traditional twentieth century architecture, and a wildlife zone where you can learn about the native fauna and flora. While she was undergraduate student she worked as a barista and as a nanny for a small family. She was an active member in the Latin American Student Association (LASA), the Poder Club, and Club Volleyball, and volunteered as a Spanish tutor, later accepting a job as a Teaching Assistant for UB Law School. She was on the Dean's List, and won a Linda Rock Memorial Scholarship. Victoria also started an internship at the International Institute of Buffalo for one of Professor Jameson's classes. The experience was so fulfilling that she continued the internship for a few months before the Covid-19 pandemic interrupted normal life. Victoria has accepted a job teaching in Spain for a year following graduation, after which she plans to return to New York and begin law school with a concentration in international law. She would love to work as an international human rights lawyer.

Julia studied at the Universidad de Sevilla in Spring 2019, the best part being sightseeing around all of Spain and Europe.  She was a Student Assistant at the Office of Student Unions, volunteered in a research lab, and participated in club water polo.  Julia was on the Dean's List and completed an internship through the CDS Department in a school for medically fragile children. She also completed an internship at Buffalo Hearing and Speech.  Julia is starting graduate school at UB for Speech Language Pathology, and plans to become a bilingual Speech-Language Pathologist. 

Catherine spent two semesters in Lyon, France. The highlight was taking courses in French linguistics with students from around the world, and having the chance to speak French every day! She worked on campus in food service, and also at a department store. She made the Dean's list and won a Provost scholarship.  This past year she took part in the Linguistics teaching internship in the Buffalo Schools and worked with students learning English at an elementary school and middle school. It was a rewarding experience to get to know many of the students and to use some of her linguistics knowledge in real life. Catherine is hoping to take part in an English teaching assistant program in France next year, and is considering obtaining teaching certification for English as a second language or French in the future.

Berkeley is currently attending UB working on a Biology Education:  Adolescence, Initial/Professional Ed.M.

Cecilia is planning on going back to school.  Her favorite RLL memory is Prof. Laura Chiesa waking someone up who had fallen asleep by saying “Buona Notteeeee!!” She is very satisfied with her degree work at UB.

Christina was a part of the Enchords, UB's coed a cappella group; UB's choir; and intramural volleyball. She had two teaching internships at Lafayette International High School, a high school for English language learners--one with RLL and the other with Linguistics. She was the Creative Director for the Enchords, a Logistics Officer for UB's Choir, member of the Dean’s list, and Resident of the Month in September of 2017. Christina hopes to become either an Italian teacher or an ESL teacher first and then eventually work in a college as a professor. She appreciates RLL’s sense of community.

Jaycee studied in Rabat, Morocco, for a semester in an immersive French and Arabic program--the best part was living with a host family who spoke so many languages and cooked amazing food! She danced for a South Asian dance team, was a member of Debate Society and Model European Union, served in a few roles for the Undergraduate Student Association, was an Orientation Leader, and worked off campus in a restaurant., Jaycee was on the Dean's List and also won a Provost's Scholarship. She has accepted a position to work as a youth development coordinator with the Peace Corps in Morocco starting in the fall. She’s really passionate about food studies, which was sparked by Dr. Graves Monroe's gastronomy class. After the Peace Corps she plans on attending graduate school and pursuing a career in food policy or agriculture with a focus on trade relationships between Europe and North Africa. She also plans to learn Italian and better her Arabic, and hopes to reside in Western Europe. Jaycee’s most unforgettable RLL moment was when Dr. Graves Monroe brought freshly baked brioche for the entire class during French 301! 

Member, Sigma Delta Pi Spanish Honor Society.

Jillian studied abroad in the UK, working in a Genetics lab at Cambridge University. One of the best parts was traveling to Barcelona for a couple days and using her Spanish! At UB she participated in intercollegiate sports (club tennis); intramural sports; worked on campus as a campus living tutor for 2 years; was a teaching assistant; did research in a biotechnology lab for 2 years; and trained for a triathlon sophomore year. She was RLL’s outstanding senior, made the Dean’s List, and won a SUNY Chancellor's Award for Student Excellence; a Grace W Capen Award & Scholarship; a School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences Graduation Award; Pfizer Biotechnology Student Award & Scholarship; and Provost's Scholarship. Starting last semester, Jillian began volunteering with Journey's End Refugee Services. She reports that of everything she’s done in her college career, this was her favorite. She will be starting medical school at SUNY Stony Brook University's Renaissance School of Medicine. Long term, Jillian hopes to be a physician working in an area with a high population of Spanish speakers.

Crystal currently works as a Research Assistant in the Chemistry Lab, and was also a Research Assistant in the UB Aces Lab.  She enjoyed the one-on-one contact with the department. Crystal plans to pursue a Master’s degree in Public Health. When she finishes her master’s degree she hopes to work in a hospital in management or preventative care.

Anna studied in Salamanca, Spain for one semester. The best part was living with her host mom and feeling like she had really made a home for herself in Spain to return to. She worked at UB as an orientation leader, and as a student assistant for the UB Honors College and Office of Orientation. She was a member of the Model European Union club, Alpha Sigma Tau sorority, and was a clarinetist in the UB concert band. She was a Dean’s List and UB Honors College student. Anna was an Honors International Study Recipient, and also won scholarships from the Wilma Newbury Fund and the William C. & Annette L. Rock Fund. She interned for Senator Charles E. Schumer, volunteered at the Jericho Roads Community center in Buffalo, New York, and participated in philanthropy events with her sorority. She will be completing a Master’s program at NYU, studying European and Mediterranean studies. She hopes to live in Europe and work for a non-profit organization or a think-tank.

Julia studied in Oviedo, Spain for a semester in Spring 2018 and enjoyed traveling and making friends from all over the world. She held jobs as an undergraduate research assistant in the BuffaLLLo lab and as a Spanish tutor for Upward Bound. She was a member of the “Royal Pitches” a Cappella Group and participated in Hillel. She was named to the Dean's List each semester at UB. Julia was an ambassador for the RLL department and a Global ambassador for the Study Abroad Office. She was the president of Sigma Delta Pi Spanish National Honor Society and in that role relaunched the Spanish Conversation Table. I was an Orientation leader for the summer of 2017 and received the Jewish War Veteran's Scholarship and the Provost's Scholarship. She volunteers as a Rotex Member for Rotary Youth Exchange to help and mentor high school students with their exchange experiences abroad. Julia will attend Nazareth College in the fall to receive her Master's in Speech Pathology with a Bilingual Extension. She plans to work in schools as a Bilingual Speech Pathologist in the Rochester area. Some of her best memories include sharing experiences abroad and international knowledge through food and discussion.

Thalia studied in Salamanca, Spain, where the highlight of the trip was the connections she was able to make to a culture different from her own. She saw beautiful places, ate amazing food, and met kind people. She volunteered teaching English at a Buffalo public school with refugee and immigrant students. She also works in an elementary school being a team leader in an after school program. Thalia was named to the Dean’s list a majority of her time at UB, and received a Wilma J. Newberry scholarship to study in Spain. She has accepted an offer to the graduate school of education at UB studying ESOL. She hopes to become an English as a new language teacher and to be able to travel the world living in various communities in many different schools. The most thought-provoking moment for Thalia was in Spain being taught by Prof. Sharonah Fredrick. She taught history in a way that challenged students to examine their own ideologies of the past. She took them on trips and walks and made the story telling of history so powerful. It left great impacts on Thalia's education.

Jean-Pierre participated in Yoga at UB and was named to the Dean’s list. Current plans are to obtain a Master’s in Spanish education.  Favorite RLL memories include performing a play scene with a fellow student and all of the presentations he had to do. He enjoyed the class participation and group assignments.

Ishitri has been a TA, tutored in the Math Help Center, was a note taker, and volunteered as a tutor and afterschool program counselor for Buffalo City High Schools. She was named to the Dean’s List and won a Provost’s Scholarship.  She completed a summer research internship at SUNY Polytechnic Institute and interned part time at Roswell Park Cancer Institute during the academic year.  She is finishing her undergraduate work on a good note and is hoping that this situation is over soon. Ishitri will be getting a PhD in Immunology, but hopes to be able to do research and become a clinical immunologist and work abroad. She enjoyed RLL’s close sense of community and people always available to help.

JonPaul went to Florence for one summer, and the best part was the people he met on the trip. He has worked as an intern at Fresenius Kabi, a pharmaceutical company on Grand Island. He is a member of the Honors College. He volunteered at the Salvation Army freshman year and at the Seneca Health Care Center sophomore year. He has been thinking about living in Buffalo until he is graduated with a Master’s degree in Biomedical Engineering. He hopes to become a Biomedical Engineer in the field of imaging. JonPaul’s favorite RLL memory is when Dr. Chiesa reviewed each chapter of Le Città Invisibile.  He also enjoyed watching movies regarding culture, events, and performing plays in Spanish, and remembers how one graduate student even brought his band to perform live in class!

While at UB Saba worked as an RA and undergraduate TA.   She was a Student Leader on the UB Student Accessibility & Inclusion Council and a Disability Advocate.  She also volunteered for Rahama, a domestic violence organization for women survivors.  Saba’s immediate plans include attending graduate school. 

While at UB, Daniela was employed as a Resident Advisor for three years, and was an Orientation Leader in Summer 2017and an Orientation Team Leader in Summer 2019. She was co-founder and Vice President of the Italian Student Association for two and a half years.  Other activities included serving as an undergraduate TA for cellular biology; Pre-Meds Without Borders club member and peer mentor; UB Honors College Peer Mentor; and Governors Hall Council Senator (freshman year). Daniela had her own project in the Biochemistry department studying the ZHX2 protein in kidney cancer, and worked under Dr. Christine Schaner Tooley at the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. Volunteer work included a Medical service trip to Panama during spring break 2019 through Global Brigades. During this past school year, she was a Student Trip Coordinator for the 2020 Global Brigades Trip to Ghana—the trip was unfortunately canceled due to the pandemic. Over the next year, her short term plans are to take a gap year from school, working in a Doctor’s office as a medical assistant and volunteering at local hospitals. Then she plans to pursue a one-year Masters in Public Health with a concentration in Global Health, followed by medical school to become a Pediatrician or OB-GYN. Daniela enjoyed learning about immigration, culture, and traditions in many of her RLL classes. Her most unforgettable memories were making new friends and laughing with her professors and classmates.

While at UB, Nathaniel worked at Wegmans as a Pharmacy Technician, and volunteered for S.M.A.R.T.

Gabriella traveled to Puerto Rico for two weeks with SUNY Stands with Puerto Rico-- the best part was building homes for those affected by Hurricane Maria. While at UB she participated in intercollegiate athletics. After the quarantine ends she would like to visit family in Italy and live there for a few months.  Gabriella hopes to gain cultural experience and empathy through learning languages, and hopes to speak at least six languages fluently before she retires. A favorite RLL memory is a class with Dr. Fredrick where a Spanish band played traditional Spanish music:  it was cool to see people playing music for the love of it, and to see that music defines a culture and brings people together.

Joshua spent the Winter 2019 semester in London studying the Sociology of Food with Dr. Debra Street. The best part was seeing in person all of the places he had only seen in movies or read about. He was a student assistant at Lockwood Memorial Library from August 2017 to Spring 2019, and worked part-time at a pizzeria in Batavia, NY. Through the Department of Communication, he completed an internship with the Legal Aid Bureau of Buffalo, Inc., where he was hired as a legal assistant in August 2020.  He interned with the Civil Legal Services Unit and was able to gain experience in several practice areas. Awards include a NYS Scholarship for Academic Excellence; UB Provost Scholarship; UB Dean’s List; a Steven’s International Educational Experience Scholarship for Study Abroad; and a UB President’s Circle Study Abroad Scholarship. In the fall, Joshua will be attending the University at Buffalo School of Law to earn his JD, followed by bar passage and gainful employment!

During junior year Lilian went to Milan, Italy, as a volunteer camp counselor and truly had the best of both worlds. She lived with a host family who would take her on trips to the Italian Alps, and made friends who would shop with her in the beautiful streets of Milan. Her heart aches for them given the severity of COVID but they are still in touch to this day. Lillian was an RA in Fargo Hall; tutored at a bilingual school in West Buffalo; worked in Slee Hall and the Office of Undergraduate Admissions; interned for Senator Gillibrand; and ended her senior year interning for a Judge at Buffalo City Court.  She was a member of the University Honors College and was named to the Dean's List. Short term plans include taking the Law School Admissions Test.  Lilian hopes to get into a T10 law school and be a successful lawyer. A favorite RLL memory is Professor Ugolini giving the class recommendations for the best restaurants in Buffalo (she is highly skilled at this). She will always remember that Prof. Ugolini recommended China Star which has incredible Chinese food and Jay's Artisan Pizza which Lilian was lucky enough to visit before the pandemic. RLL did a good job of making each student feel welcome and celebrated by honoring each of their achievements; the close personalization really made her feel at home.

Lisa studied abroad in Puerto Rico one summer with the SUNY Stands with Puerto Rico initiative; the best part was helping rebuild houses of Hurricane Maria victims. She worked as an RA, Undergraduate TA, and Events Assistant for the Distinguished Speakers Series. She was a Welcome Weekend Orientation Leader and President of the Buffalo Undergraduate Consulting Group. Her awards include the Provost’s Scholarship; the Charles Haynie Award Scholarship; and the Aaron N. Bloch Scholarship. She was a Dean’s Scholar, and volunteered in the Buffalo Public Schools and the Gloria J. Parks Community Center. Lisa plans to work full time and then attend graduate school.  She wants to work to make business practices more environmentally sustainable and focus on social impact. Her favorite RLL memory is Prof. Elizabeth Scarlett teaching the class the Macarena!

Julianna is a Provost’s Scholarship recipient. She studied both in Florence, Italy, and in Montpellier, France. In Florence her goal was to explore more creative passions that she could not study at UB as a Biology major, while in Montpellier she pursued greater academic purpose in order to fulfill requirements for a French minor. She felt immersed in the culture and was able to travel throughout the south of France, improving both her French and self-awareness along the way. She worked in a restaurant her entire college career, which was a huge but very worthwhile time commitment. The close knit community of the RLL department made her feel like she had a place where she belonged at UB.  Julianna will begin the College of Arts and Science’s International Trade MA program, and hopes to continue her French while in grad school. Long term, she hopes to have a life and career that allow her to explore her passions for travel and awareness of other cultures.  She relates that when she came into UB, she had no knowledge of French, but had a strong interest in being able to learn French after a trip to Paris in high school. She never thought it would be possible to add classes to her intense major that would allow her to explore a new passion, and the fact that she was able to start in FR 101 sophomore year and graduate with a minor in French is something that she will always cherish.

Melissa was a member and served as Marketing Director of UB’s all-female a cappella group, The Royal Pitches; played in the Women’s Club Volleyball Team; and worked off campus as a child care aide for the YMCA. She was named to the Dean’s List, and was a Staff Intern for the District Office of Assemblyman Sean Ryan. She enjoyed singing at community events and school athletic events.  The most unforgettable thing about her RLL classes was meeting Richard and Lori Hunt, who supported her through her education and continue to support her. They met in a French class and Melissa has kept in touch with them. Richard and Lori always made class fun by bringing gifts or simply entertaining us with their wisdom and stories they shared in class. The small class sizes really had a positive impact on Melissa’s learning and she wishes that many of her other classes at UB could have been like this. It created a comforting environment and helped her build more relationships.

While at UB, Oscar worked as an RA in Fargo and as an EMT.  He also volunteered at his home church, teaching the catechism to sixth graders.  In the near-term, he plans on continuing his education with a Master’s degree in Biology before applying for Medical school, and hopes to become a physician, a lifelong dream. He was most surprised to see that RLL includes everyone, from all backgrounds and truly unites everyone through a common language. Oscar especially appreciated the support and encouragement given by the advisors, secretaries, professors, noting that relationships are built and truly allow us to flourish and enjoy what we do.

Alexia worked as an administrative assistant for a food broker company about 20 hours a week, during all four years of her undergraduate career, and also completed medical shadowing with psychiatric, pediatric, and immunology practices. She worked as a research assistant for the Smoking Research Lab. She was named to the Dean's list. She interned and volunteered at medical practices including BestSelf Behavioral Health, Dr. Rockoff’s Allergy & Immunology Practice, Pediatric & Adolescent Urgent Care of WNY, the P.U.N.T. foundation, the Boys & Girls Club of WNY, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Roswell Park, and Love for the Elderly. Short-term plans include starting graduate school at UB in the fall, completing a Master's in Biology. Long-term, Alexia wants to work in the health-care field, and will apply to medical schools after graduate school. She hopes to continue her Spanish studies in order to become bilingual and use the language in practice. She enjoyed RLL’s intimate, small classes, which helped her to stay engaged with the courses.

Kara traveled to Salamanca, Spain, in Summer 2019 and fell in love with the architecture of the city! She worked part-time at Wegmans, and was an active member of the Latin American Student Association. She participated in UB Improv.  During Fall 2019, she took ASI400 which allowed her to do service learning in the Buffalo Public Schools, spending eight hours a week in School 19 working with ELL students in a 7th and 8th grade classroom. She will be starting a graduate program at the Warner School of Education at the University of Rochester this summer, and is excited to start teaching Spanish and TESOL in the next few years. She aspires to be a mentor to students and work on bridging the gap between opportunities and resources in urban and suburban schools. A favorite RLL memory is the rogue bat in the one classroom on the 9th floor of Clemens!! The fact that a class had to evacuate because of a bat and an exterminator came to find him was pretty amusing! Kara particularly liked the close-knit feeling of RLL and how the classrooms are all together.

Alyssa was a member of numerous UB organizations, including The Royal Pitches a cappella group and UB Band, the Association of Pre-Medical Students, and Women in Science and Engineering. She won a SUNY Chancellor's Award for Student Excellence; a CRC Top 1% of Freshmen Chemistry Award; the Grace W. Capen Award; the Honors Research and Creativity Fund Award, and a Certificate of Merit by the New York State Assembly. She was named to the Dean's List all semesters.  She was a Crisis Counselor; Pediatric Urgent Care, Habitat for Humanity, and Community Ambassador volunteer; Spanish Translator/Interpreter in a Buffalo Public School classroom; and an Advocate for the Alzheimer's Association.  Alyssa will be attending UB’s Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, and aspires to become a physician specializing in pediatrics/neonatology. One of Alyssa’s most unforgettable RLL moments was when she finally (partially) trilled her /r/ for the first time after a lot of practice!

Felipe studied in Florence, Italy, for a year and met some of his closest friends there! While at UB he was on the Division 1 soccer team, with both athletic and academic scholarships. He interned at Evolve branding.  Felipe hopes to move to New York City or Europe. What he appreciated about RLL:  the teachers actually care about their students. 

While at UB Nicole was a member of the Honors College, Pre-Dental Association, and the Leadership House (where she was a peer mentor). She was an undergraduate Cell Biology TA, and worked off-campus at True Smiles Dental Clinic as a Dental Assistant. She won a Provost's Scholarship, and was named to the Dean's List every semester. Throughout her undergraduate career she volunteered with Good Neighbors Dental Clinic, a free clinic for the underserved. There she met so many interesting people whose life lessons she will never forget; this work sparked her interest in helping those less fortunate in her future career. Nicole is attending the University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine in Fall 2020!  During freshmen year, she will serve on the American Student Dental Association's Outreach Committee to help peers connect with community service opportunities in the Buffalo area. After dental school, she plans working in an under-served community and providing dental care to those who need the most urgent relief. She also plans on living a very full life spending time with her cats and maybe finally taking that trip to Spain she has been dreaming about for years! Nicole will never forget discovering Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz and reading her poetry in SPA 210 with Dr. Schmidt. Favorite RLL memory:  everyone in the hallways, students and staff alike, always smile and say hello even if they do not know you. These little conversations meant so much, especially during stressful times!

Throughout school Jordan worked off campus at a pizzeria and a bakery. During freshman year he was a sexual assault crisis counselor for a short period of time.  He would like to complete a PsyD degree. Though not sure of a job title, he would like to be able to help children in hard situations. Jordan notes that when he came to UB he had already taken college Spanish while in high school and was able to start classes at the intermediate level -- he remembers being so happy he didn’t have to take primary level Spanish!

Erika participated in UB Premed without Borders and went on a medical relief trip to Honduras.  She was heavily involved in the Organization of Arab students, serving as their treasurer in 2018-2019, and was a research assistant for the UB Infant Lab and Oishei Hospital Emergency Department. She worked as a coach at Tumble Bee gymnastics; as a gymnastics instructor at the YMCA, as a medical office staff person at Luna Medical Care; at Tops Markets LLC as a data integrity coordinator in the corporate offices; and as a medical assistant at WNY Medical PC, Dermatology.  Erika was on the Dean's list every semester, and volunteered with the Gloria J. Parks Community Center, Journey's End Refugee Services, and the VA hospital. During her junior year, she helped care for family members who were receiving cancer treatment. Erika is applying to medical school for the Fall of 2021 and plans to working as a medical assistant and scribe until then.  Her long term goal is to become a physician in the military.

During Spencer’s time at UB, he worked as a Student Manager for the Student Unions. Summer internship positions included Legislative Intern for Councilman Mark Cuthbertson in Huntington, NY; Capital Markets Compliance Intern for Ferretti Group, Inc.; and Legal Intern for Fox 5 WNYW-TV in New York City. He also volunteered for the Food Bank of Western New York because of Lambda Chi Alpha's philanthropy Feeding America. Each chapter works year-round to make consistent donations for ending mass hunger. He has been seeking a job for after graduation as a Legal Assistant or Paralegal in a large law firm.