Alum Liz Zatina - From Spanish to Law School

For Liz Zatina, CLAS '78, her degree in Spanish was never a hindrance in law school. Although always interested in attending law school, Zatina pursued a foreign language degree, for which she was sometimes questioned.

"I really enjoyed Spanish. I was also very active in the Spanish club on campus," Zatina remembers. "I had great memories around that and I made some excellent friends. When I was studying there they had some nationally recognized faculty in the language department too."

As a Detroit native, Zatina, along with her four siblings, attended Wayne State.

"The university was a very attractive option for my siblings and me," Zatina said. "Because of finances, other options weren't possible. It was great that we could get a great education locally."

Although Spanish is not considered a "traditional" major for attending law school, Zatina chose to follow her passion.

"It's very important to choose a course of study in undergrad that you're passionate about and will excel in. I believe that you can have any undergraduate degree and become a successful lawyer," said Zatina. "Law is so varied. There are so many areas of practice that can draw in different skills."

Zatina continued, "I'd like to highlight the fact that you can pursue a career like law even with an undergraduate major that isn't traditionally considered pre-law curriculum. If you get a great undergraduate foundation at a university like Wayne State, then you'll build on that for your whole life and continue to learn new things. I think that people sometimes miss that."

After graduation, Zatina continued her education at The University of Michigan Law School in Ann Arbor. There, she gained valuable writing and analytical skills as an editor l on the Journal of Law Reform. Over the course of 27 years at General Motors, she worked in areas including environment, energy, litigation, and automotive regulation.

Zatina admits to not speaking Spanish in her everyday life or her professional career, but said that it has enriched her personal experiences and inspired her passion for traveling.

"I think part of studying a language is not just the ability to speak it, but rather the exposure to different cultures," Zatina said. "Hopefully, it creates an openness to look at things from a different perspective. It's particularly valuable today. In a world that's more global, I think it is important to understand people from other parts of the world."

Aspiring to travel out of the country at least once a year, Zatina and her husband enjoy the different perspectives that they can gain from foreign cultures. Recently, they traveled to Ecuador for the wedding of a foreign exchange student who lived with them a few years ago.

"Participating in the exchange program was indirectly an outgrowth of my background in the foreign language department," Zatina said. "It was such a lovely experience to have this great young woman become a part of our family."

"Exposing young people, particularly people who may be the next generation of world leaders, to other cultures creates awareness," said Zatina. "This is how you create opportunities for peace. You get to know one another and realize that people are not so different."

By Ki Lee O'Brien, CLAS alumni writer