SETTING THE PACE

BY MARIAH EVANS

MISSOURI SOUTHERN STATE UNIVERSITY

After four years of sorority recruitment , I had a pretty good grasp on the most effective recruiting strategies . I was able to apply the tactics that I learned in my sorority to PRSSA , and with the hard work of our public relations director , we more than tripled the membership of our Chapter at Missouri Southern State University .

The first step in recruiting for PRSSA is planning . Stay engaged with your executive board over summer and winter breaks to develop a plan for recruitment

BY MARISSA VALLBONA , APR , FELLOW PRSA

PRESIDENT AND FOUNDER , CIM INC PR

“ If you talk to a man in a language he understands , that goes to his head . If you talk to him in his own language , that goes to his heart ,” said Nelson Mandela .

What if you don ’ t speak his language ? Are you at a disadvantage ?

With Spanish listed the second most popular language spoken in the world behind Chinese and followed by English , it ’ s in our best interest as communicators to learn Spanish .

I ’ m thankful that I ’ m fluent in Spanish and speak other languages . I know it has made a difference in my career and personal life .

I first became aware of the fact that I spoke multiple languages when my father dropped me off at preschool when I was just over two years old . “ We think she understands English , but we ’ re not sure ,” he said .

I understood everything he said , but coming from a household where my father immigrated from Spain , my mother from Costa Rica , and they only spoke to my siblings and me in Spanish and Catalan , I was too young to understand the difference . At the time , my only exposure to English

was from TV shows and neighborhood kids who would come over to play with my brother and sisters .

Our parents insisted we speak only Spanish at home , which was very difficult for us growing up because it made us different . In a way , it was embarrassing because kids don ’ t like being different . Our parents swore it would pay off in our personal lives and careers .

Notes from teachers to my parents chastising them for speaking to me in only Spanish and telling them they were hindering my vocabulary made me cringe . I was learning vocabulary in Spanish , Catalan , French and English , while my classmates were only learning English . I hated shopping with my mom in public because she didn ’ t speak to me in English like everyone else ’ s mom . I had my fair share of being called a dirty Mexican , and I was told a few times to swim back across the Rio Grande . My siblings also were teased in a similar manner .

At the time , I couldn ’ t see those experiences were contributing to my capabilities as a professional communicator and compassion as an adult .

Now I ’ m told I ’ m so lucky to speak Spanish , and that I had a big advantage with the way I was raised . I agree , but I also know that anyone who wants to learn a foreign language can do it ; and it ’ s never too late .

My children ’ s father is the perfect example . I met him during our sophomore year in college : a complete gringo who only knew how to say “ me duelen los pies , y tienes ojos muy bonitos ,” which means “ my feet hurt and you have pretty eyes .” He wanted to marry me and be able to communicate with my family in Spain , so he set out to learn Spanish fluently by watching Spanish-language soap operas and taking a few college courses . By the time he met my cousins from Spain at our wedding two years later , he was conversant in Spanish .

I share this to motivate others who think it ’ s too difficult , too late , or that they ’ re not smart enough to learn Spanish or another foreign language .

If you can take a few semesters of Spanish and study abroad for a semester in Central America or Spain and live with a host family ( not in the dorms with Americans ), it ’ s the fastest route to becoming a Spanish speaker . If you can ’ t study abroad , then take Spanish courses

at the university or community college , watch Spanish-language TV , join Spanish meetups and surround yourself with others who speak Spanish . By immersing yourself in Spanish , you ’ ll pick up the language the same way you picked up English as a toddler . It will be frustrating and difficult at first , but after a few months , it will start to become familiar . It just takes practice .

By the time I entered the public relations job market as a new college graduate , I was so thankful for my exposure to Spanish because I recognized how helpful it was to my career . It gave me an advantage , especially in Texas , where the Hispanic population is so large . Public relations firms knew they needed to speak to the Spanish-language media in their own language . I was the one to do it .

I ’ ve pitched the media in Spanish more times than I can count , worked with Spanish-speaking clients , addressed their publics and , at times , when clients have nobody on staff to serve as on-camera sources for the Spanish-language news media , I ’ ve filled that role . Each time , I ’ ve been thankful to my parents for forcing me to speak Spanish and for introducing me to other languages .

I hold three nationalities — Spain , Costa Rica and the U . S . — and represented the Spanish team during the 1992 America ’ s Cup regatta in San Diego , working with the international media in multiple languages . The team needed a public relations professional who was a Spanish national , preferably already located in San Diego . I fit the bill on all fronts , which was a huge bonus .

Spanish fluency and an understanding of the culture have given me an advantage over other professionals who have pitched the same accounts but don ’ t speak Spanish . It has expanded my professional and personal network , and has enabled me to understand others in a way I otherwise wouldn ’ t have been able to do .

My parents were right , and I ’ ve passed it down to my grown sons who are also multilingual and reaped the rewards in their own careers .

If I could go back and tell my fifth grade self to not be embarrassed that I speak Spanish , I ’ d show her what a huge difference it ’ s made to my public relations career . I ’ d tell her to stand tall and be proud of speaking Spanish , and to encourage everyone else to learn it , too .