About our Alums
Teresa Moore
An avid rock climber who does lots of biking, kickboxing, hip-hop dance, travelling and hiking, Teresa majored in French and minored in Italian at WU. She went on to pursue a PhD in Romance Studies at Duke University. Teresa’s proficiency in Italian and French is exceptional. Not only was she awarded the Department’s Rava prize in recognition of her scholarly achievements in Italian but also (perhaps the greatest mark of distinction) in both Italy and in France she has been taken for a native speaker! For Teresa “successful communication in another language is always a moment of personal triumph" and one that allows her to expand her horizons. "Being able to speak foreign languages," she says, has made her feel "like a citizen of the world."
Eloise Sureau
"The Department of Romance Languages & Literatures at Washington University opens horizons. My experience there was one of the best in my life. I strongly encourage anyone considering WashU as a potential academic choice to take a good look not only at the beauty of the campus and the town, but also at the possibilities and opportunities it offers for its students in their future careers and lives."
Andia Augustin-Billy
Andia Augustin-Billy received her PhD in French & Francophone studies in 2015, and is now a professor of French & Francophone Studies at Centenary College of Louisiana. "At Washington University, I received a superior quality education, which prepared me well for the job market. With a specialty in Francophone Studies and a certificate in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, I quickly landed a tenure-track assistant professorship. Caring mentors ensured that I attended conferences and published. Beyond the department, I had access to an exceptionally resourceful library and eager professors with whom I could collaborate. In addition, there’s a lot to do in St. Louis! Its eateries, free museums, and parks always served as welcome respite for me to recharge. In the end, I am truly thankful for the amazing and the rigorous training I received at WashU."
Gal Ben-Josef
Currently a second-year medical student at Yale University, Gal graduated summa cum laude from WashU in 2008 with a double major in Spanish and Chemistry. Gal studied abroad in our summer program in Quito, Ecuador. Although as a pre-med student Gal took a heavy load of science courses, she dedicated time to Spanish, including as a volunteer for La Clinica and the outreach Latino Youth Tutoring program Cambio. Her Spanish continues to serve her well. Noting that "in many places around the country, the lack of translators completely prevents communication between the doctor and the patient," she feels that being able to speak Spanish "has been immensely useful in medical school,” where she often uses Spanish with patients.
Elise Miller
Elise started learning Spanish at Washu during her sophomore year and she went on to complete a major in Spanish, with a minor in Latin American Studies. She also studied abroad in Santiago, Chile, an experience she describes as "an incredible way to grow as a person." Her semester-long study in Santiago has made her eager to give back to her community. When she returned to campus, she did an internship with the International Institute of St. Louis, where she interpreted a job-readiness class into Spanish for Cuban refugees, and assisted them in completing job applications, resumes, and tax forms. Elise's research interests include Chilean political literature and the transition from a military regime to democracy from a legal perspective, a subject she decided to explore in her honors thesis.
Alexandra Revelli
Alexandra Revelli graduated with a major in Italian, and landed at the very small startup Expensify, where she eventually became the Director of People Operations and helped grow the team to 130 employees across 5 offices in London, Melbourne, San Francisco, Portland, & Ironwood. Alexandra ended up as an Italian major after, as she says, "failing epically on the pre-med track." She says, "I went from having a clear career track to no backup plans at all ... Majoring in Italian basically hammered that mindset home: enjoy what I am doing or change paths. I learned life doesn't have to be a bunch of steps you take until you are happy; you can be happy doing what you're doing now if it's something you genuinely enjoy. Failing pre-med was the best thing that happened to me." She recently brought a trip with Expensify to Italy, including cities off the beating path (Perugia, Alghero, and Monopoli), followed by a 3-week trip with her fiance and wedding in Positano.
Irene Domingo
Irene Domingo completed her graduate degree in Hispanic Studies at WashU and is now an assistant professor at the assistant professor at the University of St. Thomas. "My experience as a graduate student at WashU was one of the most enriching times of my life. Looking back, I found the opportunity I had to teach diverse language and culture courses, on campus and through the Spanish summer abroad program in Madrid uniquely useful for my development as a scholar. I also remember fondly the wide range of classes I took with excellent professors and bright colleagues. Last, but not least, I feel privileged to have had so many resources available for my intellectual development: among others, the campus library, departmental grants that allowed me to travel and further my research, the many interdisciplinary colloquia, our self-organized Graduate Writing Group, and several Center for the Humanities reading groups I co-founded and co-convened with friends and graduate students from other departments."
Julio Ariza
“Both as a student and teaching assistant, I always felt very good at Washington University. One of the most positive aspects of the program is the faculty. I personally benefited a great deal from the relationships I formed with some of my professors. My time in Washington University has proved invaluable in my current tenure-track job at Dartmouth College.”
Mary Anne Schlapprizzi
Mary Anne Schlapprizzi graduated with a major in Italian, and went on to obtain her law degree from Washington University in 2013. She is currently an associate in the International Trade practice at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP in Washington D.C. where she also serves as an editor of the “Export Control and Sanctions Developments and Enforcement” sections of the Akin Gump Red Notice newsletter. During her studies at Washington University, she was a Webster Society Scholar, Dagen-Legomsky International Public Interest Fellow, and staff editor for the Washington University Global Studies Law Review. She also worked as chambers clerk at the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda in Arusha, Tanzania, and as a legal intern at the U.S. Department of Justice in Rome, Italy, and Washington, DC, and the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri. She also worked as a legal intern and public affairs specialist at Solutia Europe, SPRL/BUBA in St. Louis and Brussels, Belgium.