What One Valedictorian Wishes She Knew in College

Grades aren’t everything. 

I learned that fact after earning my bachelor’s degree in Spanish Language and Literature from Stony Brook University—and after graduating as valedictorian. 

To congratulate me for my impeccable 4.0 GPA, my alma mater afforded me a generous $500 check and a beautifully engraved plaque. I proudly displayed the plaque on my bedroom wall, and I used the $500 check to purchase a round-trip plane ticket.    

Working in agriculture had always been on my bucket list, and although I had studied abroad for a summer in Spain, I still wasn’t satisfied with my spoken Spanish. You can imagine, then, how enthralled I was to find a volunteer opportunity on a farm in southern Mexico. Just a month after graduation, I was trading the New York metropolis for a quiet dairy ranch. 

I ended up liking southern Mexico far more than I’d expected to, so I started making plans to relocate even before I returned to the U.S. I visited English schools and colleges to express my interest in employment, several of which seemed surprised and excited about the prospect. 

I’ll never forget the promise of one incredulous university dean: “If you really move here, you can have a job.” You’d better believe I went back to claim that offer!

To make a long story short, my time teaching in Mexico was unforgettable. Unfortunately, however, a string of events left me wanting to be close to family again, so I moved back to Long Island after two cherished years in Mexico. 

My first line of business was to find work—and that was a harsh reality check. But why was it so difficult? In Mexico, I was basically offered employment on the spot, and I don’t think anyone even asked to see my resume. I was hired because of my pleasant demeanor and the fact that I was a native English speaker with knowledge of Spanish—a rare quality in that part of the country. 

In New York, on the other hand, I had to fill out tedious applications. I had to submit a resume, cover letter, and references; I had to agree to a background check. Then, if all of this went well, I had to go through at least one interview. 

“I realize now that I didn’t catch many fish because there wasn’t anything exceptional about my application—except for, maybe, my GPA. I was probably one of a hundred or more applicants, all with similar credentials and all looking for work in one of the most competitive areas of the country.”

To put it lightly, job hunting was exhausting for me. But the most discouraging part was not hearing back about so many positions that I’d applied for. I would rack my brain trying to figure out why employers weren’t interested in me. Did I make an egregious typo or come across as conceited in my cover letter? And how could I improve my applications without any feedback to go on?

After months of fruitless job hunting, I got in touch with my former Spanish teacher, Mrs. Peña, and we got together for coffee. She suggested I apply for a substitute teacher position in the same school district I had attended and where she still worked.

And that is exactly what I did. I filled out an application the next day and, to my delight, soon after received a call from the human resources secretary. 

My conversation with the secretary was awkward, however. She wasted no time: “Are you a state-certified teacher?” 

“No,” I replied shyly. 

I’d opted to discontinue the certification process to become a New York State Spanish teacher, yet there I was, applying to work in New York State public schools. In hindsight, I should have completed my certification, even though I didn’t plan to teach my whole life. A teaching certification can be a stepping stone to other related career paths, like curriculum design, which is one of my current roles.

“So you have a bachelor’s degree, but no teaching credentials? What can you do with that?” It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that the latter question traumatized me for years. I wanted to yell back, “Whatever I want to do with it!” 

It’s a good thing I kept that thought to myself, because I was eventually hired by the same woman. It likely worked in my favor that I was a Huntington alumnus and listed references, like Mrs. Peña, who were current district employees. Still, I wondered, what if these factors hadn’t been at play? Would I have ever gotten a call back?

Back then, my school district could hire substitutes even if they weren’t certified teachers. The condition was that they have some education classes under their belts, which I did. (This policy has since changed, however, and now all substitutes must be certified prior to beginning employment.) 

Even though the secretary initially frustrated me with her frankness, I eventually became grateful for that conversation. I even wish it had happened sooner because I would have done things differently. 

“There’s value behind every criticism, and we may not see it if we let our emotions get in the way.”

My other big regret was waiting too long to build up professional work experience. Throughout my entire college career, I worked in the food industry, so I could cover my personal expenses like gas and clothes. It’s not that my parents wouldn’t have helped me out—I just felt that they shouldn’t have to, so I didn’t ask.

That’s why when I applied for work in 2015, Mexico was the only teaching experience I had on my resume. My interviewers appeared to find that experience intriguing but impractical to teaching in the U.S. 

If I had done an internship or accepted a lower-paying but more professionally relevant job in college, maybe I would have spent less time job hunting as a college graduate. Sometimes you have to make sacrifices initially so you can enjoy a more comfortable life later. 

Tiffany Sorensen holds a Master of Science in Spanish-English Translation from New York University. She works remotely from sunny Mexico, where she gives English and Spanish classes, writes educational articles, and designs practice tests for the ACT.