Critical to Her College Experience: Math Major Sofia Fix on Studying Urdu

Sofia Fix, a senior majoring in mathematics in the College of Science & Engineering, shares how studying Urdu helped her connect with other students and cultures, develop important career skills, and invest in her mental health. “My linguistics classes have always been somewhere that I could express myself and recharge,” she says. “Those classes contributed significantly to my well-being and success.”

Hometown: Stillwater, MN
Major: Mathematics
Minor: Astrophysics
Language: Urdu

How did you choose your language of study?

I was always interested in languages and the richness they bring to me. While studying Latin in high school, my teacher had us learn a language that we picked randomly. I decided on Urdu. I started to get intrigued by this language and I discovered the mesmerizing world of classical poetry. I soon unraveled big parts of the culture that were intertwined with the language. As I graduated high school, the Urdu language professor at the U emailed my high school looking for students to take part of his summer Hindi/Urdu language camp, South Asian Hindi Urdu Summer Program (SAHUR), which I later instructed in 2024. I immediately joined and it further introduced me to the beauty of Urdu and made me fall in love with the language. Since then, I have been studying it until my senior year. I also realized how important and useful it is to be able to speak in another language besides English. As our world becomes ever more connected, it becomes increasingly important to know another language and to understand different cultures. I studied Spanish in preschool through 8th grade, and I’ve found that [languages] can open up new doors and allow you to connect with different people on a deeper level.

What would you have missed out on if language study had not been a part of your college education?

Without my language studies, I would have missed out on many critical college experiences. Firstly, I would have missed out on many friendships that I’ve developed in my language classes. These friendships that I made in those classes follow me until now. Having friends from different fields of study come together with a shared interest is very special. I was also able to get exposed to different paths in college from those people. Secondly, I wouldn’t have gone to as many cultural organizations that are on campus if I hadn’t been studying languages. Almost all of my friends on campus are either from my classes or from events I’d attend from those cultural organizations. Going to events every week gave me something to look forward to while in the middle of homework. Additionally, without my language studies, I wouldn’t have time to decompress and use the other parts of my brain. I'm currently majoring in mathematics with a minor in astrophysics, and while I deeply love those subjects, sometimes I need a rest from that material. My linguistics classes have always been somewhere that I could express myself and recharge. Those classes contributed significantly to my well-being and success. 

How has language study helped prepare you for your career?

My language study has helped me develop core career competencies such as Engaging Diversity and Oral & Written Communication. Studying Urdu encouraged me to seek out communities that I wouldn’t usually communicate with on a regular basis. This helped me understand the different cultures in South Asia and helped foster more cultural awareness within me. My professor, Meraj Ahmed, would implement effective teaching methods, such as pairing native and non-native speakers. This helped me appreciate the linguistic and cultural differences that were between us. Additionally, Professor Ahmed would have us translate complex phrases between English and Urdu, which increased my ability to communicate information effectively in any language. I found that my language studies—through engaging with diverse communities, solving complex problems, and communicating effectively, as well as many other lessons—extend far beyond the classroom.

Career Ready

When you study another language and culture, you will develop ten core competencies to prepare you for your future career, including: