Bryce Davis came to Ball State in the fall of 2016, then majoring in Logistics & Supply Chain Management. Upon taking Spanish 102 the spring of his freshman year, he changed his major to International Business, adding minors in Spanish and Marketing. He then became involved in the Spanish Club, Beta Gamma Sigma, and a volunteer program where he would tutor local Muncie native Spanish speakers to help them improve their English. Upon graduation in the Spring of 2020, he accepted a position at a bank and is now working to become a loan officer in Mexico and Brazil, offering financing for aircraft in this region. 

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What did you study while you were at Ball State?

I majored in International Business with minors in Spanish and Marketing. I would have majored in Spanish, but it was not possible to get my concentration in Linguistics due to course scheduling, and I was not interested in a Literature concentration.

What is your career now?

I am currently in a Commercial Banker Development Program at a bank. This program is designed to expose young professionals to all areas of the bank to become well rounded before final placement in their role. I am currently on track to become a Loan Sales Officer for International Aircraft Financing in Mexico and Brazil.

What does a typical week in your position look like?

Currently, I am on a rotation through our credit department, so I am conducting financial analysis on potential customers from Mexico and Brazil, looking to find out how they conduct business and the health of the business. These financial statements are often in Spanish or Portuguese. Along with that, I support our Foreign Loan Sales Officer, and I assist with following up on delinquent accounts. This includes sending emails to clients and then eventually calling them to get a commitment on when the payment must be made. In this case, Spanish has become a major part of my job.

What are the most valuable skills you learned in your major?

I would say my Spanish minor helped me as much if not more than my business major. Most things in my major helped me learn the basics of my current role, but without learning Spanish, I would not be on the track that I am.

What is your advice to other Humanities students?

You get out of it what you put into it. You can go into class, do every assignment, attend every class, but if you aren’t putting in work outside of class, you won’t stand out and you won’t reach what you could otherwise.

How did/do your language studies influence or contribute to your current occupation? 

It helped shape my career path. I took my first Spanish class the spring of my freshman year, looking to just take advantage and get a number of credits for free because I tested into the class. I took Sr. Ballart’s class and I found myself discovering I have a passion for the language, so I changed my major that spring to International Business and found the foreign aircraft financing opportunity. So, studying Spanish heavily influenced my current occupation.

How does it contribute to your life outside of work as well?

I believe learning a second language has enriched my life outside of work, too. I now have access to a new library of shows and movies on Netflix, I can visit a number of local restaurants that predominantly serve Hispanics and feel comfortable, and I have met people from all over the world. Learning Spanish has expanded my view of the world, and that has been the biggest difference.

You can connect with Bryce Davis on LinkedIn.