Lauren Watson
Italian Class of 2021
What was your major/minor? Why did you choose it?
I double majored in Italian and Evolution, Ecology and Biodiversity and minored in English. I chose my science major to prepare me for veterinary school and because it was the branch of biology that interested me the most. I chose Italian to learn the language, as it meant so much to me and my identity on a personal level as an Italian-American. I chose English because I also have a passion for English language and literature.
What are you up to now?
I am a veterinarian (DVM), currently a resident in anatomic pathology at Texas Tech University School of Veterinary Medicine.
How did your experience at UC Davis prepare you for the next step in your academic and professional journey?
I am so grateful for my time in the Italian department at UC Davis because it brought me closer to my culture and my lifelong dream of speaking Italian and prepared me to continue my Italian studies after undergrad. I always wanted to speak Italian, and after studying abroad the summer after my freshman year and traveling to Italy for the first time, I was inspired to take advantage of the amazing Italian department at UC Davis. That decision led to 4 years of Italian study and a second Bachelors degree! During my studies, Dr. Subialka sent us a message about Middlebury College's Italian Masters program, and I dreamed of going; however, knowing that I wanted to be a veterinarian, I never thought it was possible. I was wrong! I started the Masters during one summer in veterinary school, and then after graduating from vet school, I took a year to finish my degree. On August 7, 2026, I graduated with a Masters of Arts in Italian from Middlebury College. I plan to pursue the Doctorate of Modern Languages (Italian) with Middlebury College in the future! To put it shortly, my experience with Italian at UC Davis completely changed the course of my life. From one small decision to study a new language, to adding an Italian major, to earning a Masters in Italian, I have UC Davis LangLit to thank for my crazy and wonderful life!
What's your advice for someone considering your major?
Do not hesitate to join the LangLit family, where you can turn a hobby into a degree and a career! Majoring in Italian at UC Davis was the best decision I've ever made. The faculty are all so kind and they care about their students. The classes are fun and creative, as they represent each professor's personal interests and passions. The department is small enough that the professors and students become like a family and it's easy to get the help you need, especially with the quarterly movie night, weekly free tutoring, C.I.A.O. Club events, and more. I highly encourage anyone interested in learning Italian to start their language journey with the UC Davis Italian department.
Even just starting with the elementary courses in your desired language, you never know where it will lead you. I started with Italian classes one day and ended up with a Bachelors and a Masters (and hopefully a Doctorate in the future!) in Italian. Not to mention the dozens of lifelong friends I have made on my language journey. For students interested in multiple languages or who are already polyglot, Comparative Literature, Humanities, or Critical Theory may be for you!
What was your favorite part of your undergraduate program here?
Knowing I was pursuing a career in veterinary medicine, I was both excited and obligated to complete a science degree in undergrad. While I loved my EEB major, I always felt that I needed a mental escape from STEM courses. I dreamt of learning Italian from the time I was a child and chose to commit to Italian as my hobby. After several years, I was highly invested and making progress in the language, as well as having so much fun, that I added Italian as my second major. Taking Italian courses transcended the classroom for me; it became my hobby, my happy place, and part of my identity. I was fulfilling the dream my younger self always wanted. Almost everyone in the major was double majoring, but we all felt the same draw to the language: born not from obligation, but from pure excitement and enjoyment of the material we were learning. We really became a family in the Italian department despite our diverse backgrounds and other academic pursuits.
My favorite part of my undergraduate experience was studying abroad. I attended the summer program "Oxford: Portal to Fantasy," now called "Oxford on Film," with Dr. Karma Waltonen, and then I did "World Cinema and the European Film Festival" with Dr. Jaimey Fisher. The Italian department also has a summer abroad program: "Art, Culture, and History in the Eternal City." Studying abroad increases global awareness, inspires multilingualism, introduces you to new cultures, and is overall the most fun way to learn!
What are you most proud of from your undergrad experience?
I am proud to have pursued languages in undergrad! No one understood why I chose to study English and Italian on top of my science coursework, especially when I wanted to be a veterinarian. The simple answer: passion! I love literature and foreign language acquisition, and just because I am a veterinarian does not mean that I cannot pursue these other fields. I am not done pursuing languages and literature: I want to learn more languages (ASL, Spanish, German, and possibly Russian!), and I have my eye on a few programs I want to do in the future where I can continue to study English in Oxford and continue to study Italian as a doctorate student. All of this began with UC Davis and the LangLit department, which shaped me into a lifelong learner.
Do you have a professor or a class you want to shout out?
I thoroughly recommend ITA 113: The Divine Comedy, taught by Grace Delmolino, and ITA: 115D: 15th Century Lyric Poetry. The Divine Comedy is the cornerstone and birthplace of Italian literature, so every graduate should take advantage of this fun soiree into Dante's masterpiece with Dr. Delmolino! 15th Century Lyric Poetry was a great introduction to renaissance poetry, specifically poetry of love and longing, and featured a lot of women writers! To recommend another course, the study abroad program "Oxford on Film" and all courses with Dr. Waltonen are not only lifechanging, but allow you to explore the English literary movements that coincide with European literary movements as a point of comparison for those studying European languages.
What were you involved in outside of class (clubs, internships, etc.)?
I was involved in the Mercer Veterinary Clinic, C.I.A.O. Club, Pre-Vet Students Supporting Diversity (PSSD), and was a peer advisor for the College of Biological Sciences.
Anything else you want to share?
"A word after a word after a word is power." ~Margaret Atwood
Oxford on Film with Dr. Waltonen: https://globallearning.ucdavis.edu/pathways/academics/studyabroad/sa/uk_oxford
Middlebury Language Schools: https://www.middlebury.edu/language-schools/