Charlie M.

"I was able to land a job in Rio de Janeiro right out of college! Knowing Portuguese definitely made me a more versatile candidate."

Major(s) and Certificate(s): Accounting

Language(s): Portuguese & Spanish

Graduation Year: 2015

Current city: Wauwatosa, WI

What have you done since graduating from UW-Madison?

I moved to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and started working for Onlinetaxman.com, which is an expatriate tax accounting company. I help with the day to day tax accounting and use my Portuguese when working with clients located in Brazil.

What motivated you to study this/these languages?

I always had a strong interest in Spanish so I continued studying it at UW-Madison. I started taking Portuguese since taking another romance language was an option for the Spanish major.

How have these languages enriched your life?

I was able to land a job in Rio de Janeiro right out of college! Knowing Portuguese definitely made me a more versatile candidate.

How valuable were your out-of-classroom experiences?

I studied abroad in São Paulo, Brazil and it opened my eyes up to the rest of the world. If possible, I recommend everyone spending some time in another country during their time at UW-Madison.

What advice do you have for current language students?

Find people to practice with online!

What is your favorite word or phrase in a language you know?

E aí, mermão. Beleza?—”What up homie?”