Spanish student spotlight

Melissa Hannah
MAY 20, 2024
# Study # Speak! # Journey

Career Coach Melissa Hannah

Career Advisor Melissa Hannah has always loved the Spanish language. She talks about her professional and personal motivation to continue learning in our latest Speak! Spotlight Interview 

“My ultimate goal is to reach Spanish fluency. Right now, my goal is to be able to strengthen my reading and speaking skills in my everyday interactions with clients and rely on a translator less and less!”

- Melissa Hannah

Melissa, tell us a bit about yourself by way of introduction. 

Hola! My name is Melissa. I work in career services and help people find jobs at UVA. I am originally from Nashville, TN, and have lived in the Charlottesville community for almost 5 years now.

Could you tell us about any previous language and travel experiences? 

I have always loved the Spanish language. I lived in Texas for a brief period of time, and many of my friends were Spanish speakers. Their interactions inspired me to learn the language, and when I attended college in Tennessee, I studied Spanish as a minor. I hope to travel to Spain or Latin America one day! 

What initially inspired you to learn Spanish with Speak!? Are your goals more personal, professional or both?

Currently, I assist members of the community who’s first language may not be English. My goal is to improve my conversational Spanish skills so I could help clients more efficiently. I plan to continue lessons with Pasaporte 3.

What do you enjoy most about your group lessons with Franco? 

Learning in class with Franco was the best! He is patient and very supportive. He answers your questions and explains the lessons in a digestible format. Franco was especially helpful during our one-on-one lessons where he helped me with my pronunciation.

How would you describe our programs to a friend or colleague? 

If someone is interested in learning a new language, you have to practice speaking it. Speak! Language Center has the perfect format for practicing your target language with one-on-one instruction, group practice, conversation, and writing. It is a blend of grammatical structure-based lessons and just speaking as much as possible. It really helped me get over my ‘conversation hurdle’ I was experiencing! In a few words, I would say it is: Fun and Collaborative!

What are your Spanish language goals? How do you see developing fluency enhancing your work and personal life? 

My ultimate goal is to reach Spanish fluency. Right now, my goal is to be able to strengthen my reading and speaking skills in my everyday interactions with clients and rely on a translator less and less!

Do you have a story to share involving Spanish?

Yes, actually! I used to work in a retail store while attending college full-time. I was helping a Spanish-speaking mom and her daughter, and I was practicing my Spanish skills. I was explaining the use of a product when I accidentally used the word ‘mantequilla’ (butter) when I meant to say ‘maquillaje’ (makeup). The daughter corrected me, and we all had a good laugh.

If you could learn another language, which would you pick and why?

If I were to learn another language, it would probably be Russian or Japanese. These languages both use different characters than Germanic or Latin-based languages, and it would be a fun challenge to learn!

How would you describe Pasaporte to a friend?