BVU Student’s Path to Movie Making Runs Through Montevideo
Study-abroad experience for animation and Spanish double-major takes BVU junior to Uruguay
Alice Laybourn’s goal to work in the movie industry has her studying in Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay.
Laybourn, a junior from Decorah, is a double-major, studying animation and Spanish. Her work in South America will benefit both skillsets.
“My main focus is animation, but by learning Spanish and developing my ability to use the language, it opens opportunities for me to pursue my goals in Spanish-speaking countries as well as English-speaking countries,” Laybourn says. “There is a large movement in Latin American video game companies as well as some cool animation firms in Spain. Both industries require artists and being bilingual opens doors not previously open for me.”
Laybourn readily accepted BVU’s requirement of Spanish majors to spend a semester studying abroad. Dr. Steven Mills, Professor of Spanish, spent time in Montevideo in the past. Laybourn is grateful for Mills’ advice, which led her to the city of 1.4 million people.
Dr. Dixee Bartholomew-Feis, BVU Professor of History and Dean of the School of Liberal Arts, worked with Laybourn to establish the logistics of the experience overseen by the Universities Study Abroad Consortium.
“I wanted to be in a place that challenged my language-learning skills,” Laybourn says. “There aren’t many English speakers in Uruguay, so I’m having to work on my Spanish each day.”
Laybourn’s use of Spanish was granted a reprieve for a few hours as she met BVU mainstays, Patricia Hampton, School of Liberal Arts Administrative Assistant, and Dr. James Hampton, Professor of Biology, Emeritus.
“I wasn’t expecting to see anyone from BVU in Uruguay, as it is a relatively small country often overlooked by many of us in the US,” Laybourn says. “I’m very glad I saw the Hamptons. They were very helpful to me as I worked to get over any culture shock I was experiencing.”
The Hamptons were vacationing in Uruguay when they met Laybourn for lunch then toured a museum together. Dr. Hampton taught a biology course Laybourn took during her freshman year.
The fun get-together represents another illustration of how connected the BVU family seems to be, even thousands of miles away from the lakeshore campus in Storm Lake.