Importance of language skills

Since my minor is Spanish, I was hoping to use my Spanish skills at the newspaper. But covering education, I haven't been presented with that many opportunities.

Because of the ever-fluctuating nature of newspapers, I was assigned a breaking-news story that allowed me to use my Spanish. There was a serious apartment fire in Nashville overnight. When I came into the office the next morning, I was told to go to the site and get a feel for what happened. When I arrived, I quickly found out that the apartment complex was full of Spanish-speaking people. Few knew English. Luckily, residents were patient with me as I struggled to interview in Spanish and jot down notes. That opportunity made me realize how important it is to speak another language, especially one that is becoming almost as common as English in some areas of the country.

-- Chelsea Hadaway, University of South Carolina, The Tennessean, Nashville

P.S. I now realize how invaluable the May training was. With this being my first internship, I didn't know what to expect. Now that I've been working for several weeks, I am so glad that I was well prepped. Thanks so much for preparing us and coordinating such a wonderful training program!