Taylor Novak earned her bachelor’s degree in linguistics from UF in 2015. She went on earn her master’s degree in social work (MSW) at Florida State University (FSU).
Novak is now a social worker back in Gainesville, advocating for the marginalized and working as a clinical mental health counselor.
“Classes like neurolinguistics, psycholinguistics, sociolinguistics, logic, and semantics really drove the pursuit of my MSW degree,” she said. “Within the field I’ve advanced vertically and laterally in part because of the analytical abilities the linguistics undergraduate program emphasized. My Spanish double-major also supports my work with people who may otherwise fall through our systems’ many cracks.”
What got you interested in linguistics?
The second I learned about the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) I was fascinated. Then I got pumped about the psychosocial implications of language’s common formats and its diversification process.
What’s something that you’ve accomplished that you’re proud of?
Receiving Student of the Year at FSU makes me proud. Social work, like linguistics, requires critical thinking to produce meaningful work.
And finally, what’s something you’d like to share about yourself, like a hobby?
I love cuddling with my dogs, drinking coffee and practicing yoga.