Brittany Barajas
University of Illinois

Degree: B.A. in Spanish

How did the Stamps Scholarship help shape your undergraduate experience?
The Stamps Scholarship empowered me to accept unpaid internship opportunities in the United States and in Ecuador. Through a particular unpaid internship in Ecuador, I had the priveledge of working closely with adults recovering from strokes in a speech therapy clinic in a public hospital in Quito, Ecuador, for nearly a year. I will never forget the moving conversations, the deep belly laughts, and the tears, and the life-changing improvements in communication that I witnessed as an intern in that department. Those are some of the powerful moments that drive me as I pursue graduate studies in bilingual speech-language pathology and Spanish.

Knowing what you know now, what advice would you give your freshman self?
Achieving success does not mean that you must sacrifice your well-being. Make sure to care for yourself as much as you care for others.

Who has had the greatest impact on you throughout your college career and how so?
My friends have had such a powerful impact on me. We consistently support each other and challenge each other, and I am eternally grateful for that.

What comes next?
This summer, I am completing a backpacking course through the National Outdoor Leadership School and working. Graduate studies to become a bilingual speech-language pathologist are also in my forecast.