Senior Highlight: Jennifer Gentry

In celebration of our college graduates, we reached out to our seniors for a little highlight and feedback from their time at Eastern. Congratulations on getting your degree! And welcome to the Eagle Alumni Family! Go Eags! 

What is your major and minor/certificate and what made you choose that major/minor?

My major is Spanish Education! I chose this major because after going on a three-week mission trip to Spain, I fell in love with the language and culture. Originally, I was taking Spanish classes so that I could learn more Spanish before going back to Spain! I had a new desire to learn the language in order to communicate with the people in their language. Not too long after, I switched my major from Nursing to Spanish Education!

“If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his own language, that goes to his heart.” – Nelson Mandela 

What class would you tell incoming freshmen that they should make sure to take?

Of course, I would tell incoming freshmen to take the 100 level of Spanish (at least)! Sometimes Spanish classes can be seen as “just a requirement”. However, you might as well learn a foreign language along the way! I don’t know a single person who doesn’t wish they could speak another language. 

What’s one class that wasn’t in your major that you’d recommend?

I would recommend taking an art class! They are completely fascinating and can be a great creative outlet to relieve stress! 

If you made one rule every teacher had to follow, what would it be? Why?

If I made one rule every teacher had to follow it would be to try and learn every student’s name and try to connect with them individually because it makes the learning environment more meaningful! I believe that students feel more accountable and will have more motivation to work hard if they know their teacher knows them and is looking out for them.