(Class of 2002; Major Modern Languages with concentrations in German Studies and Italian Studies/Major Hispanic Studies)

After Bishop's, I went to the University of Toronto’s Centre for Comparative Literature. I did my MA there and continued to my PhD. I am in the third year of the PhD right now. I chose Comp. Lit. because it seems to be the most logical thing after studying three languages at Bishop's. I did not want to limit myself to only one and CompLit is a perfect place where you can (and must) combine at least three literatures and languages. So, I am both studying and working. I teach Spanish at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo and I work as a Teaching Assistant at University of Toronto's Book and Media Studies department, and I am doing my PhD as well, of course.

My BA from Bishop's helped me a lot because it prepared me well for both teaching and graduate studies. The BA in Modern Languages includes so much more than just languages - there is literature, cultural studies, history – which, combined, provide an opportunity for the student to pursue different fields of interest. My graduate studies are based on literature, but I also teach a language and a Media Studies course. Therefore, it is obvious that a BA in Modern Languages doesn't mean just learning how to speak in a foreign language. In addition, Bishop's provided me with all the benefits of a small university - small class sizes, which means better opportunity for interaction with the professors which, I believe, inevitably leads to a higher quality of education. Now, when I compare different universities I have seen (through studies or teaching), I can assure you that Bishop's provides a very good quality of education and has all the resources necessary for the student to excel in the field.