Tabatha Pilgrim Thompson is the 2022 School of Modern Languages Distinguished Alumni Award recipient. Learn more about the annual Ivan Allen College award ceremony. 

Hometown: Fayetteville
Favorite class: Español 4160: Identidad, memoria y movimientos migratorios: la vida dentro y fuera del guión (Living in, on and off the hyphen)
Favorite professors: Osvaldo Cleger and Brigitte Stepanov
Internships/clubs: Latin American Student Organization

Hometown: Snellville
Favorite class: Spanish Sociolinguistics
Favorite professor: Dr. Danielle Geary

Internships/clubs: VP Marketing for International Ambassadors at Georgia Tech (GTIA), Modern Languages Student Advisory Committee

Most helpful resource in the School of Modern Languages: The Spanish professors (shout out to Dr. Cecilia Montes-Alcalá & Dr. Danielle Geary) & major advisor (shout out to Dr. Mirla González)

1. What does a typical day at your job look like?

A typical day as a customer success manager (CSM) at Calendly looks like prepping slide decks for calls with customers, leading group product trainings and demos, strategizing for programs that will benefit our users and further their goals, and tracking the success of our current programs.

1. Who had the greatest influence on your education and/or career path?

I’ve had three professors who influenced my career path. First, my world history teacher from high school, who taught me how history connects to the present-day events and issues as to how people view the world. 

Hometown: Douglasville
Favorite class: My elementary Korean courses
Favorite professor: Jong Hyun Lee and Lee Hyunjeong Oh
Internships/clubs: CaribSA, Phi Sigma Pi, Samulnori Club
Most helpful resource in the School of Modern Languages: My professors. They are so passionate about what they do and make themselves easily approachable.

Hometown: Columbus, Georgia
Favorite class: An INTA special topics course called Statecraft
Favorite professor: It’s too hard to choose!

Clubs: Ivan Allen College Student Advisory Board, Modern Languages Student Advisory Board, Georgia Tech Russian Club president, Georgia Tech Women’s Recruitment team member

1. What's the goal of your research? What do you hope to change with it?

My research is mainly about pedagogy. I enjoy teaching and inputting the pedagogy into my course teaching.

2. What do you enjoy most about your work?

I enjoy the interaction with my students very much. My greatest strength is my approachability and positive attitude which always make my students feel like the classroom is a safe and happy environment to learn a new foreign language. I am also happy to learn new things from my students.