Analee Davis '22
As soon as I stepped foot here, I knew I had to come here. There was no doubt in my mind.
Analee Davis grew up in Guatemala but knew she couldn’t stay there for college.
“Because I wanted to do English and Spanish,” she said, explaining her decision to study abroad in the United States. Guatemala just didn’t have want she needed and wanted.
That brought her to Ohio University.
“As soon as I stepped foot here, I knew I had to come here,” she said. “Everybody was so nice, and it really felt like home. There was no doubt in my mind.”
That wasn’t a decision she had expected to make, though. The sophomore came to Athens thinking she’d never choose OHIO. Why? Because Analee wanted to be different from her father, an OHIO alum.
Coming to campus changed her mind.
“I told my mom, ‘I really want to go to OU, but just don’t tell dad.’”
He found out, of course. “I have never seen him so excited for anything as he was when I told him I wanted to come to OU.”
Analee’s father is originally from Cleveland, but his career as a teacher took him to Guatemala. And while her childhood saw Analee’s family living in several other Latin American countries, Guatemala remained home. That’s where her mother is from, and that’s where her parents first met.
Although being well traveled, Analee said attending college at OHIO has opened her eyes to the social and cultural diversity that exists among people.
“There’s just so many different types of people here; it’s incredible! And they all bring in their different viewpoints in the world.” It’s a perspective she’s appreciated as she pursues her degrees in English - Literature & Writing and Spanish with a minor in linguistics and a certificate in Latin American Studies.
Ohio University has introduced Analee to a wider world.
One of her best friends on campus is from Puerto Rico. “It’s crazy! We’re so close on the map, but we’re so different,” she said referring to the Spanish culture of the Caribbean island, which is much different from the Central and South American countries Analee has lived in. She added that one of her other close friends is from Brazil and speaks Portuguese, another new experience for her.
When she’s not in class, Analee can be seen around campus working as a tour guide for Undergraduate Admissions where she said her Spanish speaking skills often come in handy.
“Speaking multiple languages opens up opportunities,” Analee said. “The culture that comes with a language is beneficial to the person learning it. Everyone should learn a second language.”
Analee said her future plans include traveling for work.
“I would love to teach English or Spanish as a second language” she said. “Anything that has to do with language and people and I get to travel the world – that’s what I’ll do.”
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