Stephanie Santos-Nieves on Building Bridges at Empire State University

(SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY — January 14, 2025) In the fall, Stephanie Santos-Nieves joined Empire State University as an administrative assistant for the Office of Alumni Engagement. Her lifelong affinity for helping others was what led her to her current position—characterized by her positive and helpful disposition in prior roles, she feels happy and fulfilled by her ability to support the Empire State University community.

A Puerto Rico native, Santos-Nieves’ move to New York was a byproduct of the damage caused by Hurricane Maria in September of 2017. She recalls several days without electricity leading to company shutdowns, after which she began seeking other opportunities and found herself unexpectedly living in New York. While the move brought her closer to family members residing in New York state, she found herself questioning if she could adapt to the harsher climate or the strangeness of being away from home. Six years later, she is content with the stability her move to New York state has brought about, and still relishes in having family close by.

It is remarkable how early Santos-Nieves remembers experiencing the welcoming and accepting nature of Empire State University. She recalls feeling at ease even during her interview process prior to being hired. “I felt seen as a person,” she shares, noting that she was even asked what she likes to do for fun, which caught her off guard. Coincidentally, she had brought her scooter—one of her favorite pastimes, which she disclosed—and later received directions to the park from her (now) supervisor.

“Even when I started working here, Spanish already had a big presence on campus,” she notes, reminiscing on how pleasantly surprised she was to find out that President Lisa Vollendorf is a Spanish-speaker. The feeling of acceptance at Empire State University that took root that day still accompanies her now, extending to her identity as a Spanish speaker being valued and embraced. Though Santos-Nieves’s role at the Office of Alumni Engagement does not require bilingualism, it is a skill that she has found highly beneficial in carrying out her duties at Empire State University and fostering community among students, colleagues, and beyond.

Santos-Nieves has long been bilingual, with her first introduction to English taking place in kindergarten, as it does for many Puerto Rican children. “You never think you’ll ever actually need it,” she shares, referring to her unexpected move to New York state following the aftermath of Hurricane Maria. “But my family has always encouraged its youngest members to take up another language,” Santos-Nieves adds gratefully. Music, television, and everyday conversation have always been gateways into furthering her English-speaking skills, becoming accustomed to diverse accents, and learning about new cultural contexts. She feels that these tools are immersive and encourages prospective language learners to engage with the media and people of the language they aspire to learn.

Moving ahead, Santos-Nieves hopes that Empire State University’s Spanish BBA program grows, “and that we can finally share what we are working on with the world.” She notes that Spanish is the second most spoken language in the U.S. according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2019 report, making it exciting to be at the vanguard of Spanish language programs in New York state public higher education institutions. She urges prospective Spanish BBA students to believe in themselves, as they are just as capable in English-speaking settings as they have been in Spanish-speaking environments. Her final piece of advice is to take opportunities to engage with the English language, even while in the Spanish BBA: “If you learn or improve upon something every day, that’s a day well spent.”