Graduate Profile: Timothy Slade
Timothy Slade has enjoyed learning foreign languages all his life and originally majored in French to build a stress-reliever into his schedule.
“I’m studying Arabic in graduate school, and I’d rather spend eight consecutive hours working on Arabic than 45 minutes working on finance,” the 2004 graduate says.
“At the end of the eight hours of foreign language study I feel refreshed, whereas at the end of 45 minutes of finance I feel brain-fried and frustrated.”
Slade, an exercise and health science major and chemistry minor, decided to major in French because he had studied it in high school. His French major was part of what earned him a Fulbright scholarship to study public health in West Africa.
Timothy Slade
“Dr. Julie Arnold was a wonderful professor, and I probably learned more from her than I would have from other professors I could have had elsewhere,” he says.
“She exposed me to the Alliances Françaises and I then spent my semester abroad studying at an AF in Nice, France. Their language programs are phenomenal, and they served as a highly effective ’finishing school.’”
He is working toward his master’s degree in international studies. He plans to either work in international development and humanitarian relief or work for the CIA as an analyst or translator.
“Since I aspire to work in the sectors of development and humanitarian relief, any foreign languages I have at my disposal will be useful,” he says. “French especially so because of its importance as a United Nations language and the number of former French colonies that remain underdeveloped.”
While at Alma, he played tennis, was involved in the rock climbing club, wrote for the Almanian student newspaper, was a resident assistant and sang in the Alma Choir.
