‘Seeing a number of Modern Languages departments close across UK universities has made me reflect on just how much studying languages has opened up career opportunities for me. This summer, I graduated from the University of Manchester after four incredible years studying Spanish and Italian, including spending part of my year abroad teaching English in Argentina. "Since then, I have accepted a position as a Client Service Associate at Guidepoint, a leading on-demand expert network, and will be starting in November. I look forward to working with senior executives and industry experts globally while making use of both my Spanish and Italian language skills."

It's a reminder of the lasting value of studying languages.Looking back, none of this would have been possible without the encouragement and support I received from the Spanish department at Hymers, who gave me the confidence to pursue languages further.

That's why it's so disheartening to see language courses becoming less accessible. Languages are about far more than vocabulary and grammar. They help us understand different cultures and navigate an increasingly global world. I hope future generations of students continue to have the same opportunities that studying languages has given me!’

Shreya Rajesh (OH 2012-2022)