Ryan Christensen; B.A. Spanish; Class of 2024

FLAS Fellow in Quechua

Where do you work and what is your current position?

I work at OSA Technology Partners as a Solutions Engineer.

Tell us how you got there.

My passion for linguistics brought me into the world of programming languages during the latter half of my college career. I felt very strongly about staying the course with my Spanish major, so instead of switching to CS I studied web development in my free time. Through Buckeye Career Counseling, I learned about AlumniFire and reached out to some Ohio State alumni for guidance. The first meeting I was able to set up was with a very generous Ohio State graduate and software engineer who helped set up another meeting between myself and his mentor from college. This introduction turned into an interview and I gladly accepted the position.

How has FLAS and learning Quechua helped you throughout your post-graduate life?

Learning Quechua was a wonderful experience and applying to FLAS is a decision I will forever be glad that I made. First, FLAS relieved a significant amount of the financial burden from the latter half of my college career, which helped ease my transition to post-graduate life. Something special that I carry with me from FLAS is not just the concrete language skill, but a better understanding of how I learn languages. Elvia Andia Grageda took a wonderful, immersive approach to Quechua that encouraged us to think in the target language right from the start. I now apply this method with more weight to my current language study in Japanese.

If you are a traveler, what is one of your favorite trips you have taken?

One of my favorite trips to Latin America was a trip to Peru with my father in June 2019, during which we took a four day hike on the Inca trail to Machu Picchu. This trip was my first introduction to Quechua, as our guide spoke the language natively and taught us some common phrases during the trek. This initial exposure to Quechua was also a significant reason that I jumped on the opportunity to formally learn the language at Ohio State.

Who or what inspires you and why?

I’m inspired every day by my closest friends. Having grown up with a great, tight-knit group my whole life, most of whom I was fortunate enough to stay with throughout college and into post-graduate life, I have always been inspired by their individual pursuits and work ethic. Each one of us has unique goals toward which we work tirelessly, be it getting through medical school or running marathons. Their attitudes toward these goals inspire me to put the same heart into my own.