Greetings and peace to you all!
I am writing to you while I am on retreat at the Sisters of Mercy Ridge End House in Watch Hill, Rhode Island. I am with a few other Catholic students on the annual retreat offered by the Newman Association, and while away from school I have had some time to really sit and reflect on what is important in my life and my relationship with God. I could not, of course, stop thinking of all of you who I have met throughout my journeys, and so I would like to take this opportunity to send you all an update on everything going on in my life and to send you my good wishes for health and happiness.
It is my last semester at Mount Holyoke College – I know what you’re probably thinking: Already?! Let me tell you, that is the exact thought that runs across my mind every single day. About a week ago was the 100 day mark till graduation. I know that when I walk across that stage on May 23rd, I will be entering into a new community and a new state of being: an alumna. I have loved each and every moment of my four years and I can hardly believe that soon I will be leaving this most amazing and wonderful place for something else, the next step, or as a beloved priest once said, the next short story in my collection of short stories that make up my life. I am constantly reminded of how much I appreciate this experience, and I am in constant gratitude to my parents and family for all their support these past few years. I know that without them, without you, I wouldn’t be where I am today. And so I thank you.
As many of you know, I am majoring in Romance Languages and Literatures, which is a surprise to many of my high school English teachers. I was the student who barely finished a book, hated reading, and now look at me! I have studied everything from the French Tristan and Isolde to 20th century Spanish women writers, from the New Wave French film to the African short story, from Italian verb conjugations to methodologies of teaching Spanish as a foreign language, from the tres culturas (Christian, Jewish and Muslim) in the medieval Iberian peninsula to anti-humanist writers in Latin America, and the list could go on and on! I am enjoying my three classes this semester; however, I wish I had one more year for that film studies class I meant to take, or that religion class I was interested in, or an English class (I guess 84 credits of Spanish, French and Italian literature will make up for my lack of English classes).
You might also know that I am working on a senior thesis project. At Mount Holyoke we are not required to write theses, but I decided I wanted to give it a go. I am writing in Spanish under the advising of my wonderful professor, Nieves Romero-Díaz, whom I have had the pleasure of having for seven classes. The topic of my thesis is ‘Spanish Women Writers and the Prologue as a Genre from the Fifteenth to Seventeenth Century’. I guess I should find a shorter title; it might be called, ‘No Doubt It Will Amaze You’, the opening line from my favorite prologue of Maria de Zayas in the 17th Century, or “ “‘This Weak and Womanly Intellect’ : Discourses of Proto-Feminism in the Prologues of Spain’s Women Writers”. If you are interested I could send you a copy of her prologue in English and you would see why I get so excited reading these clever protofeminists’ works. The thesis process has been enjoyable thus far, although I am starting to get closer to final deadlines and still have a ton to write. (I decided to give up stress for my Lenten Promise and undoubtedly this is going to prove to be a test of faith!) In total at the end it will be roughly 100 pages – in Spanish! My personal thought was that if I can write this, I think I am set for grad school.
Speaking of grad school, that’s my plan – but not yet. This summer I am going to be working at Serra Summer Sports and Recreation Camp again. I love the children there and they are a joy to work with. Hopefully I will be working with the seven year olds again as we tend to get along splendidly. After camp ends I will (hopefully) be heading off to Spain again from October to May. The Spanish Government offers a program in which Americans can go to Spain and act as teaching assistants in the English classrooms. It seems like a great program. There are a few reasons I chose to go back to Spain: first, it will allow me to improve my Spanish; secondly, it also allows me to put off grad school for a year. I thought grad school was too big of a decision to be rushed in to, and this way I will have time to think clearly about what type of a school I will go to. I would like to continue with my study of Spanish women writers, particularly in the medieval and early modern periods. We shall see where this all takes me. Someone once told me that as long as I am doing something I genuinely enjoy and am interested in, all the doors I open will be ones I want to step through. I thought it was sound advice, and I have been following it ever since.
And with that I want to wish you all happiness and good health. Blessings be upon you, and I hope to either see or hear from you all soon.
With all my love,
Emmalie
