Kazia Jankowski '04

Kazia Jankowski

Kazia Jankowski '04

Major(s): Spanish, English minor

Employer: Cook's Illustrated
Country of residence: United States (Denver)

What was your Spanish language-based experience upon graduation from Bowdoin?
Basque Culinary school – San Sebastian, Spain (Sept 2004 – April 2005)
Personal Injury/Worker’s Comp Law Firm (catering to latino immigrant population) – Denver, CO (Summer 2005)

What was your motivation for searching out a Spanish language-based
experience upon graduation from Bowdoin?
After studying abroad in Chile and majoring in Spanish, I had a very strong sense of connection to Hispanic culture and lifestyle. I applied for a Watson Fellowship to explore food and culture in Spain, Argentina and Mexico. When I didn’t get that, I organized a year of culinary school in Spain. I had expected that my move to Spain might be long term, because the Spanish lifestyle is one with which I so strongly identify and I had an intense love for Hispanic poetry and movies. But I learned…being a Spanish major, doesn’t make you Spanish.

My work at the law firm was more a coincidence then anything else. I applied for a temp job and ended up as an employee. It has been an interesting insight into who comprises the US latino population. Many of the firm’s clients are struggling with the same frustrations that I encountered living in Chile and then Spain. How do you interact with the police? Where do you get health insurance? But many of these people don’t have the resources (or the option to return home) that I did when living abroad.

What previous experiences prepared you for your experience?
Both travel and law are directly linked to my wanderlust, lawyer parents, but it was at Bowdoin that I first independently explored my cultural interests. My junior year, I spent a full calendar year in Chile. My Spanish skills improved dramatically, and my ties to the culture and language became very personal and much deeper than previously.

My year in Chile was my incentive to go to Spain. I loved Chile, but I thought that Spain might have an economy that would support cultural interests that Chile couldn’t support. I had to go check it out for myself.

What methods, contacts, etc. did you use to arrange your experience?
I had many friends who studied abroad in Spain. As I was deciding where to go to culinary school, I relied on their experiences and suggestions. Applying for the Watson Fellowship was a big help, too, because I talked to many Bowdoin professors along the way. They directed me to new culinary magazines and local Brunswick contacts, which later provided me with names and places in Spain.

With the info that I gathered from friends and professors, I turned to the internet and investigated specific culinary schools. Then I began making calls and writing emails to Spanish schools. I eventually settled on a program whose flexibility and schedule coincided with my own.

The law firm job I got through a temp agency. My Spanish skills were an especially strong selling point in several temp agencies, which would have liked to place me in longer-term professional jobs. In my general job search, I have found Spanish to be a particularly appreciated credential. The language skill not only allows you to communicate with a growing part of the US population, but many employers are intrigued by my exposure to other countries.

Country in which you are currently residing:
Denver, CO USA

Organization for which you are working:
I have an internship at Cook’s Illustrated Magazine.

Are you currently using your Spanish language skills?
In the law firm, I speak Spanish at least 50% of the day. Because I am a temporary employee, there have been many applications for the permanent position of my job. I notice that my Spanish skills are more formally developed, and therefore more professional, than many of the bilingual applicants who grew up speaking Spanish in their homes.

Did your experience influence your current and/or future career choice and job skills? If so, how?
My culinary school experience definitely prepared me for a return to the US culinary world. In Spain, I had enough professional cooking experience to realize that I wouldn’t enjoy the everyday work of being a chef. But I still love food and that’s why I pursued the Cook’s Illustrated opportunity.

I also think that my connection to the Spanish language draws me to jobs in which I can use the language and learn more about its cultures. That is the case with the law firm.

Are you willing to be contacted by students who are interested to learn more about your experience?
Please contact me! I’d be happy to share my thoughts about adventures in Spain, Chile, Colorado and even Argentina (where I spent much time the year I lived in Chile).

Story posted on October 04, 2005

« Back | More Career Profiles | Go to News Home