Kylie Nelson ’15 didn’t just leave Westfield State with a degree that will allow her to teach. She left with a passion for Spanish and Hispanic culture and a solid understanding of what it means to collaborate.
Nelson was supported in her academics by the Westfield State University Foundation, Inc., now in its 35th year. Her brother Jimmy graduated in 2012, so Nelson was able to apply for the Alumni Scholarship, which is awarded to a sibling of an alumni; Nelson received it from 2012 to 2014. Because of the scholarship, Nelson needed only her part-time job in Ely Library. “I was able to devote time to all of my extracurricular activities, which have helped shape who I am today,” she says.
Nelson took part in the dance company and the International Honor Society in Education and Student Government, and she traveled abroad three times, participating in a two-week service learning course in Nicaragua and a two-week education course in Costa Rica. She also spent the fall semester of her junior year at the University of Granada in Spain. “Traveling abroad made me more interested in Hispanic culture and language, which inspired me to concentrate in Spanish,” she says, noting the travels also helped her determine that she wants to focus on teaching students who are learning English as a second language.
A native of Mansfield, Nelson plans to begin work on a master’s degree, and she also intends to give back to the Foundation. “I want other students to be able to take advantage of the great opportunities that Westfield State afforded me,” she says.
