Molly Shuman-Goodier

Class of 2011
Chepachet, RI
Majors: Spanish, Biology

Winner of the 2011 Award for Excellence in Spanish and Member of Sigma Delta Pi Spanish honor society

The Spanish department at Eckerd helped me attain both proficiency and an understanding of the rich history and many cultures that make up the Spanish speaking world. Challenging courses such as professor Molina-Gavilan’s Contemporary Spanish Literature class had me conquering whole novels and opened my eyes to a range of interesting cultural perspectives through class discussions and presentations. I now plan on spending time in Spain after graduating and, inspired by professor Angulo-Cano’s Cuban Literature class, have become almost obsessed with the idea of visiting Cuba (somehow) to learn more about many of the social and political issues that are very close to home here in Florida.

Throughout the past four years I have had many life-changing experiences abroad. The summer after my sophomore year I traveled to Panama to work for Professor Peter Meylan monitoring nesting populations of hawksbill sea turtles. I got to use my Spanish skills while living on the islands interacting with locals and understanding their perspectives on conservation problems. I then went to Costa Rica for the fall semester and attended Universidad de Costa Rica, Sede de Occidente. I spent my time living with an amazing host family, traveling throughout the country assisting with biology research projects, and (of course) speaking Spanish! I was also able to return to Panama this past January for an independent-study. Combining my interests in Spanish and biology, three other students and I learned about sea turtle biology and local conservation issues.

My interest in Spanish will not stop when I graduate, and I know that it will provide the perfect framework for many future adventures abroad and a career in conservation biology; hopefully one addressing amphibian population decline in Central and South America. I will also continue to use my language skills interacting with the huge Hispanic community here in the U.S. and with my own extended family, which now includes Spanish cousins and an aunt from Peru.