Core Discipline

You Can Do WHAT With a Spanish Degree?

Shortly after arriving at UD, Jonathan Cunningham, BA ’17, mapped out his plans for after graduation. His first step was to enroll in physician’s assistant school at Baylor College of Medicine, a career trajectory to which he had aspired since his early childhood as a brain cancer survivor. Nowadays, Cunningham is dedicated to the same vocational pursuit of comfort and healing at MD Anderson in Houston, among the largest cancer treatment centers in the U.S., where he was once a chemotherapy patient himself.

“I have seen time and time again the benefits of studying the core liberal arts curriculum and having the opportunity to study in Rome,” explains Cunningham. “The depth and richness of the UD education is like no other.”

Practicing in one of our country’s largest cities presents a range of Spanish-speaking patients with whom Cunningham can utilize his dual-language skill on a daily basis. “Having pursued a degree in Spanish at UD has allowed me to connect with more patients by not having to worry about a language barrier,” he continues. “Patients can feel more comfortable expressing themselves, can explain their health situations more accurately and are able to understand their health in a deeper way.”

At UD, Cunningham adds, “I was given the unique opportunity to learn the riches of the sciences, the humanities and the continuous pursuit of truth, all of which come together in the field of medicine.”

After completing his M.S. at Baylor at the end of 2019, Cunningham began his career at MD Anderson. “At times, I questioned whether I would struggle having to confront my own medical history throughout my career,” he says, “or if I was pursuing the medical profession to selfishly prove that I had finally defeated cancer.”

Read more about Cunningham’s journey at udallas.edu/YCDW-spanish.