Alumni Stories

In September 2021, Nathan started his master’s program in International Relations and Cultural Diplomacy and everything is going well! Nathan says that there are "lots of interesting opportunities to learn about the field." Additionally, I started an internship with the Foreign Commercial Service at the US Embassy here in Berlin. They primarily work with businesses who want to export to Germany from the US and German businesses who want to import from the US. I am also working with other sections of the embassy such as Public Diplomacy to participate in outreach programs where I can visit schools in the Berlin/Brandenburg area and talk with students and answer any question they may have about life in the US. That is what I usually look forward to most since it aligns well with my studies."

During Justin’s last term at Kutztown University of Pennsylvania (KU), while student teaching at Tulpehocken Jr./Sr. High School in Bernville, Pa, he came to the realization that he was truly meant to be not just a teacher, but a Spanish teacher.  As he notes: “Being able to provide young students with the gift of learning a foreign language, especially one that is so prominent in the United States, is so special.  The feedback I received from the students has really been amazing.  Not only has KU provided me with sufficient knowledge of Hispanic cultures, but I am also able to speak and write Spanish with more fluidity, which I can now pass on for many years to come.”  He leaves KU with an immediate position, first substituting for the remainder of the school year and then in the Fall, starting his job as the only Spanish teacher at the Lehighton Area High School! 

For Justin, Spring 2021 was an incredible semester, capping off a fulfilling KU academic career and perhaps starting a legacy: “A lot of wonderful things have happened this semester, I got engaged, I got an apartment, I got a job, and I graduated! Absolutely crazy!  To think that I started college with only a minor in Spanish in just level 104 blows my mind, especially now that I see it has turned into my career.  I give all my sincerest thanks to the Modern Language Studies Department and for all you do for your students who love language and want to share that love with others!  My sister is starting in the Fall at KU with a Spanish minor, who knows...maybe she will become a Spanish teacher as well!”

Eilieen excelled in her Kutztown University of Pennsylvania (KU) Spanish major coursework, earning various honors.  She complemented her academics with peer mentoring through the Modern Language Studies Student Language Partners program while also working in her local community.  She leveraged her talents into employment as a certified medical interpreter for the Stratus Company.  The Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN) hired her as a contract interpreter, which means that she works for different LVHN sites within a few miles from her home. 

Eilieen comments “I can tell that everything I mastered and grasped from KU has been of huge help for my career as a professional medical interpreter. All the cultural and traditional content that was given to me in every course from the Modern Language Studies Department allowed me to further expand my wisdom with every encounter I have had so far with patients and medical experts. I can say that I have been training for this moment since I started at KU.  I am truly grateful for the endless opportunities I had throughout the years because of Kutztown University and every single person that has helped me get to where I am now.”

Yorleny honed her bilingual abilities and expanded her cultural knowledge through her Kutztown University of Pennsylvania (KU) academic experiences, her study abroad in Spain, and presenting at a conference in Panama.  She comments that: “I am humble to say I am from Allentown, PA and, like many young people in this area, I thought I could not afford to go to college.  But I would like to tell anyone that grew up in an urban area like myself that it is possible.”   For Yorleny, her time at KU was not just possible, but also was an opportunity for growth and excellence: “Kutztown University truly inspired me to be the best version of myself. The professors of the Modern Language Studies Department impacted my life for the better.  Arriving at Kutztown I felt a bit out of place because I was a transfer student from LCCC.  However, the Spanish faculty were a very welcoming group and quickly I was able to adapt.  During my time at Kutztown University, I made lifelong friends that I consider like family, traveled to Europe, and most importantly, got to know myself better.”

While at KU, Yorleny complemented her academics with being active in various organizations (The National Society of Leadership and Success, Kappa Delta Pi, and SALSA) and investigating her own hairbow business.  This drive and dedication have continued in her post-KU time: she is currently employed by the Bethlehem School District and will be attending Graduate School in Fall 2021.  She is a role model for those around her, as evidenced by being the first person in her family to graduate from a university in the USA and by the fact that her brother has followed her example: he will soon be a KU graduate, too.  Yorleny notes: “Obtaining a college education not only changes your life but also your loved ones.  If you want to better yourself and turn your dreams into your reality, Kutztown University is the place to be.”

After graduating from Kutztown University in May 2018 with a major in Business Administration and dual minors in Spanish for Modern Business and International Studies, Sierra moved abroad to Rome, Italy.  She is currently enrolled in the Masters of Food Studies program at the American University of Rome, completing her dissertation in alternative food networks’ capacity to deliver social justice in supply chains.  She has interned with Bioversity International and plans to pursue a career focused on food systems with one of the United Nations agencies.

Sierra reflects on her experiences: “The Spanish for Modern Business Program at Kutztown University of Pennsylvania deepened my knowledge of and interest in languages and cultures and gave me highly transferable skills to pursue further education and careers. Participating on the study abroad program in Valladolid, Spain provided me with first-hand experience living and working in other countries, which proved invaluable in shaping the career path I am following today.  I am very grateful to KU, the Modern Language Studies department, and the Spanish for Modern Business minor for helping me succeed in and out of the classroom!”

After graduating from Kutztown University with a double major in Secondary Education Spanish and Social Studies, Matthew began teaching high school Spanish for Stafford County Public Schools in Stafford, Virginia. He was selected to serve on a committee charged with transitioning the school division's World Language curriculum from a traditional learning model to one focused on comprehensible input and language acquisition. Additionally, Matthew has led professional development training for his colleagues and language teachers throughout Virginia. "My time in the Department of Modern Language Studies not only prepared me to teach a language but to be a responsive educator. Their program laid the foundation for me to become an educational leader focused on teaching and connecting with all students." 

I am a freelance translator currently living in Berlin but originally from Reading, Pennsylvania. I graduated from the class of 2011 at Antietam Middle Senior High school and began two bachelor’s programs at Kutztown University in German and Spanish. I also minored in international relations and graduated in 2016. Shortly after graduation, I started an internship at Transnational Consulting in Málaga, Spain. During this time, I applied for a master’s program in Slavic languages with a concentration in Russian and Croatian at the Humboldt University of Berlin. I was accepted to that program and moved to Berlin in September of 2016. Upon completing my degree in 2020 I began searching for clients and now work for Tolingo GmbH and GITO Verlag providing translation from German to English on a variety of topics. In addition to my translation work, I teach German levels A1 to A2.2 at a small school in the Berlin neighborhood of Friedrichshain part-time. During the course of my studies, I participated in a number of exchange programs in Germany and in 2018 I completed a semester at the Kazan Federal University in Kazan, Russia. I speak German, Spanish, Italian, Russian and Croatian at varying levels and intend to add at least two more languages to my collection. I have had a strong passion for the study of language since the age of 13 and am proud to be able to pursue a career in which I may make use of that passion. 

My name is Mollie Will and I am originally from New Jersey. I studied German Studies at Kutztown University and graduated in 2016. I completed a semester abroad in Hildesheim where I fell in love with Germany and ultimately decided to move there.

I have been living in Germany for about two and a half years now and working in a German Kindergarten for about a year.

I have also lived in Hong Kong, where I taught English.

While a student at Kutztown University of Pennsylvania (KU), Giovanni was extremely dedicated to his academics, pursing a 150-credit dual degree program, earning both a BA in Spanish and a BS in Criminal Justice.  He was also a member of the Men’s Wrestling Program from 2010 through 2014, when the team competed nationally, finishing as Top 10 in the country in both 2013 and 2014.

After graduation, Giovanni worked various jobs utilizing both his Spanish and his Criminal Justice degrees, focusing on Social Services and Law Enforcement.  While those positions were fulfilling, his true lifelong goal was to become a Pennsylvania State Trooper.  Applying the same dedication and drive he showed while at KU, he turned his goal into a reality, graduating from the Pennsylvania State Police Academy in 2018, where he was a member of the Patrol Unit before ultimately transitioning into the Recruitment Service Section.  About these myriad public service capacities Giovanni reflects: “I am extremely grateful for the skills and relationships I developed while attending Kutztown University.”

Jeremiah Gwozdziewycz is originally from Honesdale, PA. He attended Kutztown University from 1996-2001, spending a semester at what is now Corvinus University in Budapest, Hungary. He graduated in May 2001 with a B.A. in Spanish and a B.S. in International Business with a minor in French. He also earned a M.S. in International Relations from Troy University, AL, and a M.A. in Higher Education Administration from the University of Louisville, KY.

Jeremiah has been on active duty in the US Army since October 2002. He is a cryptologic linguist and signals intelligence analyst who has been stationed at the Presidio of Monterey, California; Camp Red Cloud, Uijeongbu, South Korea; Fort Meade, Maryland; Kelley Barracks, Stuttgart, Germany; and Fort Gordon, Georgia, and has been deployed to US Embassies in Ethiopia and Burkina Faso as well as Resolute Support Headquarters, Kabul, Afghanistan. He has graduated from the Defense Language Institute's Basic Korean and Basic Modern Hebrew programs, and has held positions at multiple echelons, including Language Analyst, Mission Manager, Instructor of French and Hebrew, Platoon Sergeant, and Sexual Assault Response Coordinator.