Margherita Mezzasomais currently studying a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in Spanish and Latin American Studies and Politics and International Studies.

My major in Spanish and Latin American studies has been revelatory and useful. Being taught Spanish in Australia is completely different to the approach I was used to in Italy. The Latin American influence is greater, and it allowed me to discover not only a new “style” of Spanish language, but it opened up a whole new continent, including its history, politics, society and culture. Over the years my passion and interest for Latin America have increased and have given me a new perspective on how we tend to think narrowly about South America from a Western perspective and how, also through the language itself, we can shift to a more comprehensive one.

Studying Latin American studies and the Spanish language has confirmed my inclination towards learning languages. I have always had a great interest in learning languages because I think they are the best way to genuinely approach a culture and they match my desire for moving around. By the end of this course, I have discovered that a language gives your brain a different type of flexibility and knowing a new language and a new culture allowed me to learn more about my own through comparison.

In my third year both my majors allowed me to participate in the Australian National Internship Program in Canberra. In 2018 this prestigious program started a pilot partnership with the Latin American embassies to develop a series of research projects on migration from these countries. Somehow, it was the perfect opportunity to complement my interest for international politics with my Spanish language skills. I obtained working experience in the Argentinean embassy and I immersed myself in the life of the Argentinean-Australian community to complete my research on the topic of identity retention within this community. It seemed like my degree had prepared me exactly for this experience and the skills that I gained from this activity made even more eager to continue with this interesting mix of Spanish and politics.