Gavin Fielding graduated in 2016 and now works for a human rights NGO and supports forest communities in South America and uses his skills in English and Spanish as an interpreter.
Why I chose Southampton
I liked the campuses, in particular Avenue, and University of Southampton was one of few places that offered combined honours. I was (and still) interested in Hispanic history where I could use Spanish sources whilst improving my skills in the language too. I also felt there would be support for students if it were needed and seemed like more than what the other, larger universities were offering.
My memories of studying languages at Southampton
Great memories of the copious amounts of coffee consumed at Avenue campus over conversations with peers. The lecturers were so enthusiastic and worked hard to teach in a relevant and engaging way. And occasionally playing for the Intermilanguages football team.
My year abroad
I spent 13 months in Santiago de Chile studying and working for a human rights NGO. Probably one of the best things I have ever done and have lifelong friends from it. It really was a once in a lifetime and unique opportunity, which was not easy and a challenging year, however, very enriching. It helped me develop a more global perspective and sparked my interest in International Relations.
What I'm doing with my life now
I now work for a human rights NGO for both their project and finance teams. The work is mostly finance based as I work accompanying forest communities in Costa Rica, Colombia and Peru. I was lucky that the NGO needed a Spanish speaking person to support their finance team and since then, I have picked up finance and project management skills alongside working towards an accountancy qualification now.
The skills I picked up at Southampton that I use in my professional life
Spanish! I work in both English and Spanish where I translate and interpret while also working closely with partners and colleagues based in Spanish speaking countries. Back in November, I accompanied two indigenous leaders in their advocacy trip to the UK. I was glad I had the skills I learnt during the Public Service Interpreting module in final year to help provide Spanish to English interpretation for events and meetings with Welsh parliamentarians. I also occasionally use research skills in my work too when investigating finance streams that are linked to human rights abuses and deforestation.
