Integrating Spanish into Advertising

Mallory Pomerantz

Coming into college I felt there were a lot of unknowns. Who would I be friends with? What would I eat every day? Would my classes be hard? Like any incoming freshman, my mind was racing. But one thing I knew for sure was my desire to pursue advertising. Commonly, a lot of people find themselves transferring into Advertising at UIUC, but from the start, I felt that this would be the place for me. 

What I loved about advertising is that it would allow me to combine several different interests of mine such as writing, content creation, communication, and brand strategy. I knew I wanted to find myself in business, but I wanted business that was FUN, and I knew that that was advertising. I loved that advertising meant brainstorming, collaborating, and working on ideas until you can’t sleep. I wanted all of that.

I knew that coming into advertising, I had to find ways to diversify myself from other students. At the end of freshman year, I decided to find a minor that could benefit and add to my skills in advertising. This was a hard hunt because most College of Media students were finding themselves minoring in business, public relations, or communications. I wanted to find something that not only interested me but challenged me in new ways. I felt that a different minor could diversify my pallet and expand my knowledge in another area of learning.

I had been taking Spanish since 7th grade, and my mom ALWAYS insisted on me never giving it up. Spanish was something that took a lot of practice, and it was super tedious. I had stuck with it for five years, and I knew discontinuing Spanish would throw away all of the hard work I have done throughout the years. My mom was extremely adamant about me continuing the language, but the idea of college-level, rigorous Spanish courses scared me. I didn’t want to be brought down by Spanish, and I didn’t want my minor to be causing me so much stress.

I knew at the same time that Spanish had given me so many opportunities and memorable experiences throughout the years. During high school of sophomore year, I had the opportunity to travel with my school’s Spanish department to Spain. For a month, I had the opportunity to live in Spain and taste the Spanish culture, traveling to Grenada, Seville, Madrid, and Barcelona. Furthermore, during my senior year of high school, I completed a Biliteracy exam where I received my seal of Biliteracy, demonstrating a high level of proficiency in Spanish and in reading, writing, listening, and speaking in Spanish. 

When it came time to declare a minor, I felt that Spanish was the way that I could learn, challenge, and diversify myself the most. I became intrigued with aligning Spanish to Advertising. The courses I had taken thus far had given me exposure to Spanish culture, communities, new dialects, and even courses about immigration and Spanish in the United States. I was learning so much and felt that my Spanish skills were only advancing. 

Being an upperclassman now, I finally had the opportunity to talk about my experiences in Spanish and Advertising. In my interview with CDW for this summer, the recruiter and I connected over both taking Spanish throughout college. The hard work it took was understood and recognized by the recruiter. She had told me that CDW is constantly doing work overseas, which made me so excited to see what global opportunities are out there. 

Furthermore, I had the opportunity to speak with a Global Media Manager at OMD USA, who works with international branding and clients. This manager works specifically on OMD’s Pepsi account, speaking with clients and individuals in Spain and abroad. Her job caught my eye, and I recognized how I could tie Spanish into international business. I realized that my use of Spanish could allow me to connect with brands, individuals, and creatives all over the world. I am now excited, eager, and anxious to see what is out there and I believe my minor will only help me create more opportunities and experiences in the Media world. 

If you’re looking for a way to take new, interesting classes and pursue something different, finding a language to minor in may be perfect for you. Check it out here.