I’m Selah and I am a junior studying Nursing and Spanish here at Auburn. I am super passionate about helping people, and I’ve decided to pursue that by learning Spanish so I can give even more people a voice when it comes to their healthcare. Other things about me besides school, I love to stay active and make new friends, so I play pick-up soccer every Friday night with a different group of people each time! That’s something I love about the Auburn community, we have a family-like culture that makes people eager to include others.

Hometown

Birmingham, Alabama

Major(s)

Nursing, Spanish

Clubs, organizations & involvement

Honors College Week of Service Counselor, Auburn Youth Programs Counselor, Spanish Club Event Coordinator, Medical Clinic Translator, Intramural Soccer, Elementary School tutor.

Describe your college experience

When I first came to college I did very well being independent and I did not struggle at all with homesickness. However, after struggling through some classes and having a hard time finding my crowd, I was still facing challenges they were just manifesting in a different way than the people around me. I worked hard and got involved with a lot of clubs and organizations my second semester, where I made lots of friends and learned how best to handle my classes. My sophomore year I was very involved on and off campus, and I believe I have truly embodied the Auburn spirit.

Tip for future students

My biggest tip for incoming students would be to get out of your comfort zone. It may not feel super natural to go to a club meeting by yourself or sign up for an intramural team alone, but finding your unique interests and investing in them is how you build your community and truly get the most out of your college experience.

Favorite class

My favorite class has been Spanish Oral Proficiency. I loved that class because it was a very active learning environment. No English was allowed in the classroom, and most classes were discussion-based so we were forced to piece together our broken Spanish in order to keep the class moving along. It was a super challenging class, but I loved seeing my classmates’ Spanish improve, helping each other through mistakes, and laughing with each other when we messed up. I learned so much and made many good friends through that class.

Career goals

After college I hope to work as a Nurse and also get my Interpreter license. I want to work in an environment where I can interact with Spanish-speaking patients so I can help them understand what is going on when it comes to their health. I think everyone has a right to have a voice in their healthcare, and I if I can effectively communicate with patients in a language that is comfortable for them, they will receive better treatment as patients.

Ideal way to spend a free night

In a perfect world I would spend a free night playing soccer with a big group of people that I barely know. I love bonding with new people over a team sport. After a long game of soccer, I would bake something with my roommates and sit and talk with my roommates on our couch for a long time.

High school or secondary school

Oak Mountain High School, Birmingham, Alabama.

Previous college

N​/​A