Emma Allen

I am a double major in International Relations and Hispanic Studies. The Hispanic Studies department has added so much to not only my academic career, but to my personal life as well, giving me so many friends and memories I will carry with me forever! I had the incredible opportunity to participate in the W&M Sevilla program in the Spring of 2025. This time spent abroad helped me improve my Spanish and gave me so many adventures and stories with other W&M students, including one of my best Hispanic Studies friends, Zoe Z. One of my favorite experiences was volunteering with La Cruz Roja in Sevilla in the Asentamientos sector, providing hands-on aid to immigrants with other local volunteers. I fell in love with Spain so much that this coming fall I will be attendingInstitut Barcelona d´Estudis Internacionals (IBEI)in Barcelona to pursue a Master's in International Relations. Here I hope to continue to learn and grow within international relations and policy, while continuing to immerse myself in Spanish language and culture. I aspire one day to pursue work in diplomacy with Spanish speaking countries, and I feel certain that W&M and the Hispanic Studies department have set me up perfectly to accomplish all of my aspirations. I am so grateful for all of the professors within the department for helping me grow and for pushing me to improve every day, I would not be able to pursue this if it wasn't for all of their help and support!