University Academic Portfolios and Professional Perspectives on Professional Careers

Session Identity: This session is the final meeting, identified as Session Number $10$ , covering Unit $10$ .
General Theme: The primary topic of discussion is professional careers (profesiones) and university life.
Current Academic Status: Participants are currently in the process of finishing their academic terms, with multiple mentions of "exámenes finales" (final exams).
Specific Institutional Details:
- Alexa: Currently studying for a clinical exam occurring "hoy" (today).
- Morgan: Managing final exams and university coursework.
- Gracy (Raci): Preparing for a final exam.
- The Instructor: Attended the Universidad de Bolívar in Ecuador, which is a public, medium-sized institution featuring the colors red, blue, and white.
- Texas Tech University: Described as a public, large university represented by the color "rojo" (red).

Alexa's Academic Path:
- Major: Biology (Biología).
- Description: Characterized as an interesting yet difficult field of study.
- Specific Interest: Enjoys laboratory work ("laboratorios").
Morgan's Academic Path:
- Major: Double major in Biology (Biología) and Psychology (Psicología).
- Favorite Course: Developmental Biology (Biología del desarrollo).
- Preferred Aspect: Appreciates the social aspect of university life, including making new friends and attending university games.
Gracy's (Raci/Waysi) Academic Path:
- Major: Double major in Kinesiology (Kinesiología) and Psychology (Psicología).
- Favorite Course: Kinesiology classes due to their high level of interest.
Instructor's Academic Path:
- Major: Political Science (Ciencias Políticas).
- Favorite Course: Criminology (Criminología), specifically because it involves investigative work.

Primary School (Primaria):
- Alexa: Preferred Art classes.
- Morgan: Enjoyed Gymnastics (Gimnasia).
- Gracy: Preferred English and Science (Ciencias).
- Instructor: Preferred English specifically for singing activities.
Secondary School (Secundaria/High School):
- Alexa: Preferred Science.
- Morgan: Preferred English, noting it was "falso" or easy at that level compared to university English, which requires significantly more work and critical thinking.
- Instructor: Preferred Music classes for activities such as playing instruments and dancing.
Favorite Level of Education:
- Alexa: High School (Colegio), due to the presence of friends and the fun environment.
- Gracy: High School (Colegio).
- Morgan: University, due to the social dynamics and sporting events.
- Instructor: Primary school (Primaria), because it lacked exams and tasks, focusing primarily on playing, running, and eating.

United States System:
- Elementary School: Referred to as "escuela elemental" or elementary for the youngest children.
- Middle School: Referred to as "escuela secundaria" or "escuela media."
- High School: Generally referred to as High School.
Ecuadorian System:
- Escuela Básica: Includes elemental and basic levels for the youngest children.
- Escuela: General term for children's education.
- Colegio: The term used for High School level studies.
- Universidad: The post-secondary level.

Current Languages:
- Alexa: Speaks English and a small amount of Spanish.
- Gracy: Speaks English and a small amount of Spanish.
- Morgan: Speaks English, some Spanish, and is learning American Sign Language (ASL), aiming for fluidity (fluido).
- Instructor: Spanish is the maternal language (lengua materna), with a working knowledge of English.
Future Linguistic Aspirations:
- Alexa: Expressed interest in learning Japanese (japonés), despite its complexity regarding hieroglyphics and script.
- Gracy: Wants to learn French (francés).
- Morgan: Professional goal is to become fluent in Spanish.
- Instructor: Wants to learn German (alemán), Italian, and Portuguese (due to its similarity to Spanish). Also expressed interest in learning Quichua.
National Linguistic Contexts:
- United States: Predominantly English and Spanish. Occasional French, Italian, or German depending on the community.
- Ecuador: Spanish is most common. English is highly common among professionals (doctors, lawyers, architects, etc.). Indigenous communities speak Quichua.

Childhood Ideal Professions:
- Alexa: Wanted to be a veterinarian (veterinaria) due to a love for animals, specifically dogs.
- Gracy: Also wanted to be a veterinarian.
- Morgan: Desired to be a teacher (maestra).
- Instructor: Wanted to be a police officer (policía) or part of the government military.
Past Work Experience:
- Alexa: Has not held a previous job; currently focusing on studies.
- Gracy: Worked as a nanny (niñera) in a daycare center (guardería).
- Morgan: Worked as a receptionist in a medical spa; mentioned receiving "free botox" as a perk.
- Instructor: Worked for the university in conjunction with the police, inspecting supermarket products for expiration dates (fechas de vencimiento) and adulteration.

Work Motivation Strategies:
- Gracy: Stays busy to make time pass faster.
- Morgan: Maintains a balance between work and personal life to avoid boredom.
- Instructor: Motivated by financial compensation, meeting new people, and learning about other cultures.
Accessibility of Employment:
- United States Context: Difficulty depends heavily on the specific job and the quality of the curriculum vitae (CV/resumé).
- International Competition: Described as very competitive in the US, requiring high levels of experience and knowledge.
- Ecuadorian Context: The primary barrier is experience. The national basic salary is $480\,USD$ for both men and women.

Student Question (Alexa): "¿Tienes planes para hoy?" (Do you have plans for today?)
- Response (Instructor): Mentioned the Ecuador vs. Mexico soccer match and feeling nervous about the outcome.
Student Question (Morgan): "¿Cuánto tiempo llevas trabajando para Lingua Meeting?" (How long have you been working for Lingua Meeting?)
- Response (Instructor): Approximately $4\,years$ .
Student Question (Gracy): "¿Puede chicos y chicas tienen el mismo trabajo?" (Can boys and girls have the same job?)
- Response (Instructor): Confirmed that in Ecuador, it is popular and normal for men and women to hold the same positions based on intellectual capacity, though gender roles were more rigid in the past.