Ausen Espinosa
August 05, 2024 - 01:17 PM
Ausen Espinosa, a Political Science major, studied both Spanish 1 and Italian 1 at Mt. SAC. In Fall 2023, he participated in a transformative study abroad program in Rome, spending three months immersed in Italian culture. Inspired by this life-changing experience, Ausen founded the Study Abroad Club to motivate others to embark on similar global learning adventures.
Ausen’s language journey:
I was motivated to learn a foreign language because of both my future job prospects and my own cultural identity. I am of Hispanic and Italian heritage which motivated me to embrace my cultural background and learn the languages of my heritage.
I plan to build my career in California, where there is a large Spanish-speaking community.
Gaining proficiency in Spanish will significantly broaden my career opportunities
and enable me to engage more fully with the Hispanic community, especially as I pursue
civic work in the state.
I've encountered both external and internal challenges while learning Spanish and
Italian. One of my biggest ongoing struggles is finding time to practice. Balancing
school and other responsibilities often make it difficult to stay consistent. To address
this, I've learned to prioritize daily language practice, regardless of the duration.
For example, even squeezing in 30 minutes of practice before bed feels like a success.
Another challenge I faced was dealing with feelings of discouragement. Learning a new language and embracing a foreign culture isn’t always easy, and I often doubted my abilities or felt out of place. I believed I wasn't capable of speaking any language other than English. But that couldn’t be further from the truth. With regular practice and support from my learning community, I was able to push past those self-imposed limits and achieve fluency. Trust me—it works!
Learning a foreign language will grant you numerous benefits in both your academic and future employment prospects that you didn’t even know were possible! You will also be able to gain an intimate view of different cultures and customs, through knowing a foreign language and interacting with the locals of different countries. This has been the biggest takaway from my time in Italy. The possibilities are truly endless with whichever foreign language you decide to learn! With the support of the amazing faculty at Mt. SAC’s language department, along with encouragement from friends and family, learning a new language is not only achievable but also a lot of fun!
Inspired by Ausen's story?
