Save the Children, Ethiopia

Since graduating from Tulane, David has held a number of positions both domestically and abroad, including working for Save the Children‘€™s emergency refugee response in Ethiopia.

David’s experience at Tulane prepared him for life after college…

Why did you choose to major in Latin American Studies?
I chose to major in Latin American Studies because it afforded me the flexibility to pursue a wide range of disciplines and subject matter. Within the context of the Latin American experience I was able to study music, art, history, politics, economics, language, and disaster recovery. It was a specialization without limitation.

How has your background in LAST helped you since graduation?
Though I took a wrong turn and ended up in East Africa, my background in LAST served me very well. It provided me with an analytical framework to approach new cultures and environments. Though Latin America was the specific context of my study, I had nonetheless honed transferrable skills in critical thinking, formal writing, research, and oration.

In hindsight, what would you have done differently as a LAST major?
I would have taken more advantage of the professional assistance that was available to me through the department. At that point in my life, I didn’t know what I wanted to do. I now see that there was the opportunity to begin an expansive investigation with the help of departmental faculty, the networks available through them, and Tulane alumni.

Any words of wisdom for LAST undergraduates?
Make some concrete goals for yourself by the end of your senior year. This does not mean deciding exactly what you want to do for a career or exactly what Masters program might be best for you. This means simply identifying a few priorities for yourself as a young person who will suddenly be facing both the wonderful and intimidating world of possibility following graduation. Maybe living and working overseas is a basic goal. Maybe working with a specific immigrant population is a basic goal. It doesn‘€™t matter. Just having a sketch and a few objectives to work forward will lend you some much-needed structure as you move forward.