| Roundtable offers language students unique career advice
Photo by Jeff Watts |
Students in the CAS Department of Language and Foreign Studies (LFS) recently got some career advice from a man whose careful translations helped keep the Cold War cold. As the head linguist on the Presidential Hotline between the United States and the Soviet Union from 1981 to 1984, Kevin Hendzel, right, brought firsthand knowledge of the real-world importance of language studies to the March 8 LFS Career Roundtable. In addition to Hendzel, who now is the national media spokesperson for the American Translators Association, the roundtable also featured seven LFS alumni, including Sandra Alboum, who owns her own translation company and is a two-time Jeopardy champion—once having won by answering a final jeopardy question on “Official Languages.” Other alumni with jobs that ranged from the State Department to National Public Radio described the varied career paths LFS offers. Beyond giving students a glimpse into their potential futures, the event also aimed to strengthen ties between the department and its alumni. “It’s very important for us to continue to work closely with former students and welcome them back to campus to see if there are ways to have ongoing relationships,” said visiting scholar Usasi Chatterjee, who organized the event. —MG |
