Alumni Highlights
Amanda Whitmore, Spanish, BA Liberal Studies, 2009
Amanda Whitmore
2009 Graduate
Language: Spanish
Major: Liberal Studies
Minor: Spanish
Amanda is the founder of an organic cosmetics company and social enterprise in Bologna, Italy. She credits her language studies at GVSU with helping her see the beauty of living abroad. During her time there, she traveled to Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras to perform service work related to her Liberal Studies track in human rights. This work led her to a fulfilling career with Goodwill Industries. However, her experience living abroad and the joy of discovering a completely different culture remained in her heart. She always nurtured a passion for international living, and eventually found a way to do so. She started volunteering with SECOM pantries as an ESL teacher in Grand Rapids. She enjoyed it so much that she decided to move to Guangzhou, China and teach full-time. After two years there, she found herself loving her lifestyle but wanting to make more of an impact. She then found herself completing her Masters in International Management at the University of Bologna in Italy.
Easing into the Italian culture and language was much easier with her background in Spanish. Now that she’s been there for three years and opened her own business, Whitmore has found her home in the world. Her languages have opened the door to new cultures, new friends who have become family, and an extraordinary life.
Updated October 2019
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