Putting the ‘si’ in passion

When looking for Rachel Chase around campus, you are most likely to find her chatting with friends in the Caf or working on homework outside while enjoying the fall weather.

Astonishingly enough, this Senior Spanish major manages to find time to do these things in between her heavy course load and her busy schedule of extracurriculars.

Rachel knew she was meant to be a Gustie upon visiting the campus.

“I heard wonderful things and saw the opportunity to be involved in many different organizations,” Rachel said.

She has taken full advantage of these opportunities for involvement over the last three years at Gustavus as she is an active member of such on-campus organizations as both Organization of Latin American, Latino and Spanish Cultures (OLAS) and Crossroads. Rachel was also recently admitted to Sigma Delta Pi, the prestigious Spanish honor society, which is known for being very selective in its membership.

In addition to her extensive involvement in extracurriculars, Rachel is also a dedicated student academically. She just made the decision to pursue the recently-approved Latin American, Latino and Caribbean Studies (LALACS) major.

Should she succeed in meeting the requirements for the major, she will be the first student to graduate with this degree. Her LALACS degree will couple with her already nearly-completed Spanish degree.

Rachel has taken countless Spanish courses and has always been actively involved in the Spanish-speaking community at Gustavus. She has worked as a Spanish language and composition tutor since her first-year. She was also selected to serve as a Spanish departmental assistant, which is “an honor reserved [for] exceptional students,” Professor Ana Adams said.

In addition to her involvement in Sigma Delta Pi and her service to the Spanish department in general, she also recently returned from a year abroad in Peru, an experience which she insists was one of the best experiences she has ever had.

“Being in Peru was an incredible opportunity to do things like practice my Spanish and apply cultural knowledge that I’ve learned through classes at Gustavus. But it was also a wonderful (if scary at first) lesson in independence and life in the big city,” Rachel said, originally from Chatfield, MN, a small town of about 2,700 compared to Lima, a city of almost nine million.

“There’s always something to do in Lima—and I loved the excitement of being in the heart of so much activity and energy. I can’t wait to go back,” she said.
Ian Shay, a fellow Spanish major who studied abroad in Peru with Rachel last year, saw how she found success and enjoyment in her study abroad experience.

“Rachel’s resilience impressed me—living abroad was not easy, but by the end of the year, I don’t think anyone from our program felt so at home in Lima as she did,” Shay said.

After she graduates this spring, Rachel hopes to continue her studies abroad and put her language skills to good use. She does, however, hope to return to the States eventually in order to attend graduate school.

“Any Spanish graduate program she wishes to attend will certainly notice the breadth and depth of her Gustavus coursework. Rachel certainly has a bright future ahead of her,” Professor Adams said.

There is no doubt that she will be able to succeed in these endeavors, a sentiment also echoed by her former roommate and close friend, Senior Karla Leitzman.

“She’s so loyal and truly believes in the people she holds closest as friends. She is always good for a laugh (or forty). She inspires me every day to always try to make a bad situation better and to try to view the world in a ‘glass half full’ kind of way,” Leitzman said.

“Rachel has a well-developed feminist conscience. She speaks out with a passionate voice and open ears, and I believe she’ll bring a sense of activism wherever she goes. I wouldn’t be surprised if she ended up teaching about Latin American Feminist Literature. I have learned much from her,” Shay said.