Claire Ziamandanis on Loving Linguistics and Empire State University’s Spanish BBA

(SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY — March 25, 2025) In light of Empire State University’s new Spanish BBA program launching this Fall, various staff members have been undertaking large-scope translation projects. Among them is Claire Ziamandanis, one of two linguists who are preparing all the necessary materials Spanish BBA students will need access to in their native language to navigate higher education with ease.

Ziamandanis, who joined Empire State University in late September of last year, is a New York native hailing from Weedsport. “More cows than people,” she jokes. She reflects on growing up with a narrow range of experiences and people, where her first encounter with language-learning was in early high school. When Ziamandanis was a high school senior, she became friends with an exchange student from Mexico, which facilitated language immersion: “We were just laughing, going on and on. All of a sudden, it was like ‘this is all in Spanish, this is the coolest thing on the planet.’”

Once Ziamandanis entered her college years at Saint Lawrence University, her Spanish instructor encouraged her to study abroad a year ahead of her peers due to her advanced skill level. “She called my mother personally… because my language abilities were ready to take off abroad. So, I went from Weedsport. The first time I went to New York City was to fly out to Spain,” she shares.

Study abroad was a transformative experience for Ziamandanis, who comments: “It was a kind of freedom, because we were this compact group in Weedsport—everybody knew each other. To get dumped into a big city… suddenly I could be whoever I wanted to be. And the language came pretty quickly.” The experience taught her much about the world, other people, customs, food, and herself. “It just opened my eyes and completely changed my view of the world and the possibilities that are out there,” she says with a smile.

Bringing her love of language to Empire State University has been a highly gratifying and motivating experience for Ziamandanis. “I am amazed every day that I log on to work at the energy and camaraderie that has been formed within this team of bilingual employees. It feels like there’s a greater cause at the center of what we are doing. When we start talking about the different ways of saying things, that’s right up my alley—I love words. I love playing with words,” she says warmly.

Ziamandanis who has a Ph.D. in Linguistics, is no stranger to the often-solitary life of a translator. Yet, her experience at Empire State University differs from the norm. The sense of community that working as part of a bilingual team has brought her imbues her work with joy. In past roles, she has felt a waning appreciation for language: “I come from a place where languages have been undervalued. This is completely different—we’ve got a President who is a Spanish speaker… I think that really underlies my feeling of confidence in the way we’re approaching what we can bring to Spanish-speaking people,” she comments.

She narrates an experience with a friend from Mexico who was helping her install door handles and following Spanish directions throughout the process, which she was curious about given his reliable English-speaking skills. He shared that he felt more confident carrying out the installation following instructions in his native language despite being bilingual. “The idea that we’re providing services in Spanish for many people, it’s just making sure that they’re getting the full meaning, even though they function in English,” says Ziamandanis about the translation preparations that accompany the launch of the university’s Spanish BBA.

As she reflects on the process of readying university departments to assist Spanish speakers, she credits Director of Spanish Language Programs, Silvia Mejía: “I think Silvia is an unsung hero in the way she’s built a team, runs, and works through meetings. It’s allowing people who are monolingual in English to start to feel more comfortable about [the university] becoming a bilingual community.”  She underscores the excitement among English-speaking staff members working in tandem with the bilingual team, feeling cheerful each time they start to pick up Spanish words and phrases.

Looking ahead, Ziamandanis hopes the university expands structured degree offerings both in Spanish and bilingual form, saying, “I think people may want more courses offered in Spanish. The true goal is a bilingual approach, and I fully support that.” In considering the broader implications of the new Spanish BBA program, she observes, “The real opportunity is for this program to incorporate both issues from the U.S. as well as global issues when we’re talking about business administration. That could be something that stands out among the different BBA programs that are offered in the U.S.”

Ziamandanis asserts, “You learn a language like I did—by suddenly realizing you’re having fun and you’re doing it in another language. You let your brain take over.” Ever the advocate for learning through language immersion, she highlights additional benefits of language-learning, ranging from positive effects in delaying cognitive illness to shifting thought from judgement to curiosity with regards to other cultures.