By Laurel Fujii

Before Language Studies alumna Sarah Simons could fulfill her assignment as a Foreign Service Officer and Diplomat in Pakistan, she met with Pakistani officials for tea and learned about their families. They did not begin addressing the original matter at hand, Pakistani state of affairs, until their fifth rendezvous.

A fluent Spanish speaker, Simons never imagined she would have these conversations or that she would learn Urdu, Pakistan’s national language.

“In a lot of ways, people are the same,” she said. “Clothes are different and languages are different but, underneath it all, men and women are the same. They have the same kinds of interests, the same concerns of family life, what they want from their government, what they want from their community. Ultimately, that’s the neat thing about working overseas.”

Simons is currently putting her Spanish skills to the test in Venezuela, where she covers an assortment of political issues and, among other tasks, prepares reports for State Department presentation to Congress. These reports help shape policies and decisions and are released to the public.

Spanish and international affairs have remained a staple in Simons’ interests and accomplishments. She received the Steck Award[1] for her senior thesis, for which she interviewed Spanish film director Julio Médem. 

“I applied for funding and got enough money to travel [to Spain],” she said. “It was amazing to be able to apply what I learned in Humanities at UCSC.”

She thanks her degree for where it has taken her, literally.

“A lot of people asked me what I was going to do with my Language Studies degree,” Smith said. “They think the options are limited, but learning the language, in addition to skills I got out of the program, opened up an opportunity to work in Mexico and helped me in the Foreign Service. The writing skills were a strong asset when I pursued my graduate degree. To me, the Language Studies degree was in many ways more valuable than my master’s degree.”

Even though Simons said she misses Santa Cruz, she probably won’t be returning to the city, or even the country, in awhile. Simons is sure to stay close with her family, especially now that she’s an aunt, and her family often visits her wherever she is.

For now, Simons wants to remain in the Foreign Service and learn French. She said she wants to continue working in Latin America, but is toying with the idea of an embassy in Africa, hence the French.

“I’ll have the language, which opens the door to the culture, where you can learn about the people,” she said. “That’s the real rewarding experience.”

Laurel Fujii is a UCSC Humanities Development student intern, a second-year American Studies major, and she writes for the school newspaper, City on a Hill Press.