When Applied Linguistics major Kayla Burrow started her internship with the National Center for Civil and Human Rights in Atlanta, she was unsure of the career options available in the field.
But after helping the center with linguistic planning and accessibility projects, Burrow said she’s more excited than ever about her future.
“To me, all of it is really fascinating, especially regarding the social linguistic application of it,” said Burrow, a senior who is also a student in the Honors College.
Burrow, who is studying Mandarin and Japanese, will make the center more inclusive by assisting her internship supervisor in translating and interpreting the center’s supplementary materials into those languages.
Burrow is also developing an audio tour which will be provided in English and Spanish to blind visitors at the center.
“Language is one of those forms of discrimination that we don’t talk about enough,” Burrow said. “This internship has presented me with a way to help people. It feels really good and it shows me the other outlets and resources I can provide.”
Burrow is also performing research on behalf of the center, obtaining visitor demographics to inform decisions about which languages should be prioritized in future linguistic expansion efforts.
Growing up in North Georgia, Burrow said she was always interested in the study of language, but never thought she could make a career out of it.
“All throughout my undergrad, I’ve tried to dip my toes in some form of linguistics,” Burrow said. “This internship has shown me another outlook and has broadened my perspective of what I thought was possible.”
Ultimately, Burrow plans to pursue a Master’s and PhD in applied linguistics.
—Photo by Raven Schley