Joshua Alma Enslen

M.A. in Romance Languages, ’04, Ph.D. in Romance Languages, ’08, Teaching Assistant, UGA Summer in Brazil, ’06. Research Travel Award, LACSI/Tinker Foundation, ’07.

A memorable international experience at Georgia was  summer 2007, when I spent time in Rio de Janeiro conducting dissertation research with a grant from UGA's LACSI and theTinker Foundation. I lived with a host family in Niterói and took the ferry daily to view archives at the Fundação Casa de Rui Barbosa and Palácio do Itamaraty. I used an old school digital camera borrowed from my host family’s relatives to photograph hundreds of documents, such as handwritten correspondence and official diplomatic reports from the first half of the twentieth century.  

Studying language, literature, and culture at Georgia prepared me to  think critically, read analytically, and approach problems from multiple perspectives. It prepared me to listen, to see the world more fully and to see myself differently. It prepared me to question assumptions, to take risks, to be okay with uncertainty, to explore, to be open to new experiences and to be patient with myself.   

 I encourage students at  Georgia today to  pursue your intellectual passions – all of them. Do not limit your academic experiences or coursework to one discipline only. Learn from others who think and feel differently from you. If you’re a language major, take a computer science course. If you’re a computer science major, study the visual arts, etc. Find a mentor among the incredible faculty at UGA. Study abroad and do not be in a hurry to figure it all out. Be well-rounded. Play an intramural sport. Study an instrument. You will likely never have another opportunity like this one to focus on yourself and to satisfy your intellectual curiosities.