Language Links Lives by Gabriella

Language Links Lives by Gabriella - April 2022 Scholarship Essay

I am currently a high school senior attending NYU this fall to double major in global liberal studies and politics. I am also planning to minor in linguistics or communications. After I receive my undergraduate degree I hope to attend law school, and my ultimate career goal is to become an attorney. Although I am sure of what I want to do now, I was not always sure. When I was younger adults would always ask me, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” to which I would measly reply with, “I don’t know!”. Although that answer was cute for a seven-year-old, it was not seen as cute for a seventeen-year-old. No one told me that it was strange for me to not know what I wanted to be yet, but I could see the disappointment on their faces when I replied with uncertainty. I, too, was frustrated with myself for being unsure of what I wanted to be, but I knew I did not want to force myself into anything, so I prayed that one day it would come to me.

One day I was volunteering at a church for Toys for Tots. It was my first time volunteering outside of school events, and I was a little outside of my comfort zone because I was not with my friends. As I was wrapping up a gift, I overheard a little girl ask a woman something in Spanish. The woman did not understand her, so the little girl asked another person. That person did not understand her either. I took Spanish class for a few years, but learning conjugations and grammar rules only gets so far in the real world, but I knew I wanted to help, so I gave it a try. I understood that she needed something concerning her brother because she kept using the word 'hermano' which is Spanish for brother. I tried to remember everything I could from Spanish, but I shamefullyy gave in to using Google Translate. It took us awhile, but I soon understood that she was saying her brother hurt his leg and she could not find her mom. I immediately told the leader of the organization who went with her to find her brother. I am not sure of the details but a few hours later, the organization leader thanked me personally and told me that the girls' mother wanted to thank me as well.

In my mind I did not do anything extraordinary, and I was even embarrassed that I had to resort to using Google translate just to talk to someone. Looking back on that day, I am not sure why the people she asked did not use Google translate themselves to help her, because using it does not require knowledge of Spanish. Regardless, this experience inspired me to begin learning languages, because I knew I never wanted to feel as helpless as I did that day again. I went home and started using free websites, foreign films, and YouTube to learn more than what I was taught in school. I also studied French and Italian, trying my hardest to understand these languages. Without even realizing it, I found my passion: language. The power language has to connect individuals is what fascinated me, and that is why I want to pursue global liberal studies. I want to learn more languages and hopefully use it to help families who do not speak English very well.

This volunteering experience not only inspired my career path, but it also taught me to step out of my comfort zone. If I never left my school volunteering events I never would have interacted with people outside of my bubble. Although it was outside of my comfort zone, it ended up being beneficial to me in more ways than one. I learned that it is okay for me to volunteer by myself, and I do not always have to go with a friend. I also learned that it is okay to try to help someone even if I am not sure if I can, it is the effort that counts. Talking to the little girl through Google Translate was also out of my comfort zone, but I imagine it must have been out of her comfort zone to try to speak to people who do not speak her language. Trying new things will always be a learning experience, and this experience taught me that I should try new things if given the chance.