Career Outcomes

Alumni Stories

Lexi Abrams

I am currently a communications associate at Precision Strategies in Washington, D.C., where I work on messaging and strategy for campaigns, corporations, and nonprofits. I graduated with majors in political science and French, along with gender and sexuality studies.

Studying French has been directly relevant to my work in communications. Language is at the core of what I do—crafting narratives, shaping messages, and understanding how audiences interpret meaning. Learning French sharpened my awareness of how language functions, how cultural context influences communication, and how small differences in phrasing can carry significant impact.

My experience abroad in Paris, where I lived with a host family and studied entirely in French, further deepened that understanding. It pushed me to think more critically about audience, tone, and perspective—skills that translate directly into my professional work today. French is not just an additional skill; it is a framework that continues to shape how I approach communication and storytelling

Cullen Allen

I am currently a law student at Duke University School of Law, with plans to work in international corporate law between the United States and France. This summer, I will be working with an international law firm in both New York and Paris.

My study of French at Vanderbilt gave me both the technical language skills and the cultural fluency to pursue these opportunities with confidence. The program emphasized not only communication, but also engagement with francophone perspectives across disciplines, which has been essential in preparing me for cross-border legal work.

French has been a defining factor in shaping my professional trajectory. It has allowed me to envision and pursue a career that operates internationally, rather than being confined to a single legal system. The ability to work across languages and cultures is a tangible advantage in law, and my experience in the French department laid the foundation for that path.

Kevin Ankerholz

My experience in the Spanish and Portuguese programs as an undergraduate student at Vanderbilt compelled me to continue to hone my language skills post-graduation while I lived and worked in New York City for five years. When it came time to decide on a graduate business program, I chose the dual-degree Wharton MBA/Lauder MA in international studies program at the University of Pennsylvania.

At Lauder, I focused on Latin America and the Portuguese language with the goal of exploring international business opportunities in Brazil. I worked for a venture capital firm that specializes in investments in early-stage companies in Brazil, Hispanic America, and the U.S., allowing me to thrive in a multicultural and multilingual professional environment. Simply put, Spanish and Portuguese opened up unique, exciting career opportunities for me in the burgeoning early-stage investment/startup scene in Latin America.

Marie Armbruster

As a chemical engineer interested in academia, speaking Spanish has opened doors that broaden my teaching abilities. I taught English in Spain for a year after graduation through a Fulbright grant and developed a deeper understanding of myself as a teacher that I have taken back to the STEM classroom. My current graduate program works with a local middle school to mentor students and there is a large Spanish-speaking population in the school system. They have specifically requested Spanish-speaking STEM graduate students and I love being able to interact with more of my community.

I have also been able to connect with and assist more of my community by translating for pro bono attorneys working on immigration cases. My time at Vanderbilt has enriched my life both personally and professionally.

Marissa Caporella

Working at an investment bank, I spend my time helping advise companies when they are looking to do things such as acquire another business or raise money in the public markets via debt or equity. I work with many companies that are large, multinational organizations, and there are times when a client’s management team prefers to communicate in Spanish. As the only person on my team that speaks Spanish, I serve as the intermediary between executive management and my investment banking team when necessary. This has given me exposure to top-level management at various corporations that I might not have gotten otherwise as someone only a couple of years out of college.

Alec Freedman

I moved to New York City after graduating with majors in economics and French and now work as a project manager at Optum. My experience in the French program was one of the most formative parts of my time at Vanderbilt. The curriculum exposed me to a wide range of topics—from business to literature to immigration—while consistently emphasizing critical thinking and communication.

More importantly, studying French reshaped how I engage with the world. It strengthened my ability to communicate clearly, think across cultural perspectives, and approach unfamiliar situations with curiosity rather than assumption. The faculty played a central role in that development, offering not only academic guidance but also mentorship that extended beyond the classroom.

Even outside explicitly international roles, the skills I developed through French—adaptability, cultural awareness, and precision in language—continue to inform my work every day. They have made me more effective in navigating complex professional environments and collaborating with diverse teams.

Madi Goeringer

Spanish for the Medical Profession was one of my favorite AND most important classes of my college career. I was on the pre-nursing track at Vanderbilt, majored in child development with a Spanish minor. I graduated with my master of science in nursing from VUSN in 2018 and have been working in Houston, Texas at a bilingual pediatric clinic as a pediatric nurse practitioner for the past two years. More than half of my patient population prefers Spanish, so I speak it fluently now every single day. Having a strong baseline knowledge of medical Spanish has helped me SO much in my career! I don’t know where I’d be without it!

Chloe Hord

After graduating with a double major in psychology and French, I began working as a clinical research assistant at the Anxiety Disorders Center at Hartford Hospital and will begin my Ph.D. in clinical psychology at UNC Chapel Hill in 2026. My study of French fundamentally shaped how I think about psychology as a discipline.

Through coursework in French history, literature, and philosophy, as well as my semester abroad in Paris, I became interested in how psychoanalysis has influenced French approaches to mental health. That perspective ultimately informed my honors thesis, which examined differences in the treatment of psychopathology in France and the United States. This intercultural lens continues to influence my research, allowing me to approach clinical questions with greater openness and nuance.

Beyond academics, the French program gave me meaningful relationships and formative experiences abroad. It reinforced that studying a language is not just about communication—it is about developing a broader intellectual and cultural framework that can directly shape one’s field of study.

Charlotte Mauger

After graduating with degrees in French and public policy, I worked in Deauville, France, where I taught English in local schools, translated tourism materials, and led language programs for both students and adults. I now work as a teaching assistant at the French American School of Denver, where I support francophone teachers in a fully French-speaking environment.

French has shaped both my career and my daily life. I use it constantly in my work, but just as importantly, it has allowed me to build meaningful relationships and integrate into new communities. Studying abroad in Paris and developing fluency at Vanderbilt gave me the confidence to live and work in France, and to navigate a different culture with ease.

Learning French opened access to experiences that would otherwise have been unavailable—from working abroad to engaging deeply with francophone communities. It has made me more adaptable, more culturally aware, and more prepared to work in international and multilingual settings.

Pilar Puyana

Speaking Spanish has opened for me a multitude of both educational and professional pathways I had never even considered prior to time at Vanderbilt. Following graduation, I completed a trilingual master’s degree in international business management in Spain, and have worked in international office environments, utilizing my Spanish to interact with native clients and coworkers daily. Combined with being a native English speaker, being able to speak Spanish fluently has given me an edge in the competitive international job market.

Sam Rafia

Being able to speak Spanish has been huge for me in medicine. As a medical student, I have been able to interpret for Spanish-speaking patients at the hospital and be an advocate for them during a stressful time in their life. Being able to help these Spanish-speaking patients has been immensely rewarding as these patients are often marginalized by our healthcare system. I plan on continuing to work with this population as a physician. I’m thankful for my time at Vanderbilt as I was able to learn to communicate effectively with Spanish speaking patients, especially in the medical setting.

Katelyn Reneslacis

I am forever grateful to the department for teaching me to be bold and creative in my secondary languages. My professors’ support during my time at Vanderbilt and my current pursuit of a Ph.D. in Romance languages at Harvard University has pushed me to continue to seek new ways to use language. My approach to literature is more innovative, curious, and energetic thanks to my time spent in this wonderful department. The faculty members care deeply for their students and seek to share the beauty and passion of other languages, literatures, and cultures. ¡Familia para siempre!

Ryan Zurcher

I am currently a research associate in pharmaceutical consulting in Boston, after graduating with majors in medicine, health, and society and French. While my path after Vanderbilt was not linear, my background in French consistently distinguished me in the job search and in interviews. Employers were often interested not just in my fluency, but in the experiences that came with it—especially my work at the Olympic Games in Paris, which was made possible by my ability to operate in both French and English.

Studying French opened doors well beyond the classroom. It shaped how I connect with people across cultures and gave me access to opportunities I would not have otherwise had. Although I do not yet use French daily in my current role, I continue to maintain it through reading, media, and friendships in France. My long-term goal is to work in a global context where I can use French professionally, potentially including pursuing further study in France.