Deanna Marcoux '98

"I am currently teaching Spanish at Silver Lake Regional Jr. High School in Kingston, MA. This is my second year teaching; last year I taught at Marston Mills Middle School on Cape Cod. I am having a wonderful time. I am happy to say that I love my work. The Foreign Languages Department at Clark University was instrumental in deepening my love for the Spanish language and in teaching me how to read, write and speak in Spanish. I am very grateful to everyone."

Jennifer Reinhardt '97

"The opportunity to live and study in Trier was not only a great enhancement to my German major and liberal arts education at Clark University, but served as a rich life experience on which I will always look back with pride. Living abroad allowed me not only to develop my German-speaking skills, but also to put other areas of my education into context: in contrast to how 'new' our country is, Trier (and Europe in general) has a living and breathing culture and history which dates back to Roman times.

My horizons have been irrevocably broadened and a precedent set for my post-college life: I've been back to Europe twice since my return from Trier and am more engaged and informed about European history and current events. The friendships I forged during that year are strong despite the distance that now separates us.

Though I remained an outsider in that I still held a US passport, during my year (Aug 95-Aug 96) in Trier, I was able to experience Germany and Europe by seeing things through 'their' eyes, as my new friends, acquaintances, and professors welcomed me into their world."  Jennifer_Reinhardt@providentcompanies.com

Juan Rojo '97

"I am currently a graduate student at Cornell University. I received my M.A. from Emory University in Atlanta and now I am pursuing my Ph.D. in Spanish. I don't think I would have ended up in this field if it were not for my experience at Clark. Not only did I find my career there with the help of the Spanish faculty, but that is also where I met my wife."

Natalya Stolova '96

"I am currently a 4th-year graduate student in Romance Philology at the University of Pennsylvania. This program's focus is the study of the languages that descended from Latin and of their literary histories. My studies as a Spanish major undergraduate at Clark helped to further my interest in the Romance languages in general and Spanish in particular. Both foreign language and literature classes were interesting and thought provoking. I also really appreciated the personal attention that professors gave to their students." nstolova@sas.upenn.edu

Zerxes Spencer '95

Zerxes earned his M.A. in International Relations from the University of Chicago. He now works at the National Endowment for Democracy in Washington, DC, as associate editor of its Journal of Democracy, an international affairs quarterly that focuses on the theory of practice of democracy around the world. "For four years Clark was home. And for each of those years, Estabrook Hall was my home-within-that-home. My French professors taught me a love for life and language that sustains me to this day. I am honored to be a part of their family." Zerxes@NED.org

Ida Colon '89

"Upon graduating from Clark University, I attended law school and graduated with a Juris Doctor in 1992. I have been practicing law in the financial services industry since then. Today, I am Counsel for Aetna Financial Services. My areas of practice include employee benefits plans, securities law, state insurance law, etc. When I am not working, I enjoy traveling, reading, horseback riding, off road cycling, inline skating and volunteering.

CU's Foreign Languages Department really helped me to learn a great deal about Spanish literature and the art of active reading. With instruction from the Spanish faculty I really learned to appreciate the beauty and power of works written by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, Juan Rulfo, Gabriel García Márquez, Elena Poniatowska, Jorge Luis Borges, Mariano Azuela, Federico García Lorca--and the list goes on...

I really am quite indebted to my Spanish adviser who pushed me (and I do mean pushed) to study abroad at the Universidad de Sevilla in Spain. The trip was a real turning point not only academically but also personally. Thanks, professor, for pushing me in the right direction!" coloni@aetna.com

Sharon (Schatzberg) Hormby '76

"I arrived at Clark a psychology major (surprise!), with advanced standing in French. I quickly realized there was more to language than conjugating verbs. Two highlights from my Clark education are my Junior Year studies in France and, in my Senior year, directing the play "The Visit," by Durrenmatt in the original German as part of a foreign language theater festival. After graduating, I spent a year in Belgium on a Fulbright Fellowship improving my language competency and researching Belgian literature and theater. Upon returning to the USA, I taught French at the high school level, but needed more to keep me intellectually stimulated. I found that there were similarities between human and computer languages, and made the transition to a technical field. However, the critical thinking skills I learned at Clark enabled me to move very quickly into management positions.

After five years in the work force, I returned to school to earn an MBA at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, concentrating in International Marketing. I spent ten years in high technology marketing on an international scale, occasionally giving professional presentations in French and frequently breaking the ice with a phrase or two in other languages. I now work for a large multi-national corporation in a position that bridges business and technology strategy, where my international perspective is of great value. The lessons I learned as a Clark undergraduate stand out as a powerful foundation: the ability to analyze concepts, to formulate and articulate my own opinions, and the ability to structure my thinking so that others can follow and support the strategies I develop. The comfort I have in speaking, writing, persuading and organizing concepts - so necessary in my professional career - was initially acquired in Clark's courses such as theater arts, foreign literature and language."