WKU News

Exceptional students have graduated from the Potter College of Arts & Letters (PCAL) over the years and soon, senior Emily Then-Torres will be among them. The Spanish and International Business double major first came to Bowling Green from the Dominican Republic when she was in high school. She decided to attend WKU for college to remain close to her mother, who, at the time, was the only other member of her family in the United States. However, since arriving on the Hill, Then-Torres has found an amazing community that has supported her and helped her carve out her current path.

The possibility of majoring in Spanish was revealed to her after speaking with the chair of the Department of Modern Languages, Dr. Alex Poole.

“Dr. Poole went to my high school a few times before I graduated and he always talked to us about trying to pursue a major in the language that we spoke originally,” says Then-Torres.

After choosing to major in International Business, she decided Spanish would pair well with it, due to the major having an International Business concentration. Then-Torres is a native Spanish speaker, but this particular concentration helped her learn the formal Spanish needed to pursue business on an international level. She credits her professors in the Department of Modern Languages as being paramount to her success. 

“I was able to learn a lot of the business terminologies in Spanish that I didn't know because it wasn’t used in my day-to-day knowledge,” says Then-Torres. “[Department of Modern Languages faculty] helped me a lot with my personal development, to be more outgoing and to be more professional when I talk to people. All my Spanish professors were the ones that encouraged me to study abroad.”

While studying abroad in Spain, she had the opportunity to learn about Spanish culture. Additionally, due to individualized curricula for her International Business major, she was able to study the different businesses in each city she visited.

Outside of academics, Then-Torres says the Hilltopper Association of Latin American Students (HOLAS) and the Intercultural Student Engagement Center (ISEC) played crucial roles in her college experience. During her time at WKU, she served as both the Membership Coordinator and President of HOLAS and as a Navigator for ISEC. Her involvement in both organizations helped her develop many meaningful friendships with fellow students.

“It’s kinda bittersweet [graduating] because, in the past two years, I have really been able to connect with different students,” says Then-Torres. “I have made a lot of friends now that I am involved in so many organizations.” 

While Then-Torres is sad to say goodbye to the Hill, she has a bright future ahead of her. Following graduation, she will be moving to Franklin, Tennessee to begin the Supervisor In Training (SIT) program at Tractor Supply, where, for the next year and a half, she will learn about all the different parts of the company. Eventually, she hopes to put her Spanish degree to use and work at an international company like General Motors, where she previously interned.

When asked about what advice she would offer to incoming freshmen, she emphasized the need for students to put themselves out there.

“Try new stuff. Even if you don't like them,” says Then-Torres. “Just try them and then continue trying other stuff until you find something that you really like.”