HUMANITIES Ambassador SPOTLIGHT | Kellen Hullinger

Q: Why did you choose to become an ambassador for the College of Humanities?

A: I wanted to be an ambassador for the College of Humanities because I saw it as a great opportunity to share my experience with other students and make them feel more comfortable in their transition into college life. It can be really hard to find your “home” in college, and it was always nice to have others to help guide me so that I, too, could feel at home here at the U.

Q: What are your major(s) and/or minor(s)? Why did you choose them, what do you love most about them, and what do you hope to do with them once you graduate? 

A: I am a triple major in German, Linguistics and World Languages & Cultures, and I am also looking to get TESOL certified. I chose these majors because I absolutely love languages! I feel like language is the window into other cultures, and being able to speak other languages allows you to approach and express ideas from different perspectives. When I graduate, I would love to go to Germany for grad school and potentially teach German or English at the high school level once I’m done with that.

Q: What do you think your most unique hobby is? Why do you love it?

A: I have two unique hobbies. One is that I love to rock climb. Rock climbing is very physically demanding but also relies heavily on your ability to problem-solve. Usually, when you aren’t able to climb something, it’s not because you aren’t strong enough, it’s because you aren’t approaching the climb in the right way. I love figuring out the right sequence of moves to be able to get up really hard climbs. I am also a huge fan of the game cribbage, which is basically a card game that old people play. So, if you even know what cribbage is, hats off to you!

Q: In what way(s) do you feel “at home” at the University of Utah?

A: I feel very at home in the German department here at the University of Utah. I know the professors in the German department very well, and even spent a month studying abroad in Germany with one of them. Having professors who know you and care about your academic success makes a huge difference in the college experience. If you are new to the U, I would highly recommend making an effort to get to know your professors, because those connections will be super helpful during your undergrad schooling and later on in life.

Q: What is the earliest or latest class you’ve ever had? What about that class made it worth getting up so early/staying on campus so late?

A: The earliest class I ever took was I think a 9am class on Mondays and Wednesdays in my first semester of my second year. It was a class about love and relationships, which are super interesting topics to me, and it fulfilled two of my gen-ed requirements. I was commuting all the way from Draper at the time and had to take a fairly early train to get there. It was honestly a super fascinating class, and I learned a lot from it.

Q: On a regular day, what does your commute to school look like? Do you enjoy it? If not, what are some ways you make it more bearable?

A: I live on campus and enjoy riding my bike to my classes in Gardner Commons and the library. I love riding my bike, and on nice days, it feels so good to feel the air rushing past me as I head to class every morning. It is a much better commute than my first two years of college, which was commuting every day on TRAX for at least an hour both ways.

Q: In what way have you engaged in the college experience that you are most proud of?

A: One of my most engaging experiences in college was studying abroad in Kiel, Germany, in the summer after my first year. I had always wanted to study abroad in college, and I am super proud of myself for actually following through with my goals. It was a great experience, and I highly recommend studying abroad at some point in college.

Q: What do you feel like is the most underrated building or place on campus?

A: Honestly, I don’t think the Legacy Bridge gets enough credit for how cool it is, especially at night. The architecture itself is really cool, and if you take a minute to just stand there and appreciate the view or just watch the cars, you’ll realize that we don’t have a lot of cool bridges like it in the city, which makes it really unique. It can be easy to just breeze right across it on your way to classes, but next time you’re there be sure to just take a second to appreciate it.

Q: What is your dream career? What steps are you taking to get there?

A: My dream career would be to work as the in-house ‘language guy’ for some company. It honestly would not matter to me what industry the company is in. If someone offered me a job to just learn languages to help the company with international business deals, I would take it in a heartbeat. I don’t know if those types of careers really exist, so I also hope to be a language teacher someday. I am currently working towards that goal by taking classes to get TESOL certified, and I am working as a volunteer teacher for an after-school German program at a middle school here in Salt Lake.

Q: If you could go back and tell just one thing about your college experience to your past self on your first day at the U, what would you tell yourself?

A: “Kellen, going to college is one of the most enriching things you will ever do in your life. You will experience some incredible highs and some crushing lows. You are going to grow so much as a person. Don’t ever forget the lessons you will learn here.”

Thank you, Kellen, for putting together the Humanities Ambassador Spotlights this semester!