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Hello

I'm John Harper Lybrand

I'm a senior at Clemson University, graduated with a Modern Languages major and a minor in Management. I will be graduating in December 2025, and can't wait to leap into the working world with the same passion I've brought to my schooling!

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BIOGRAPHY

ESPAÑOL

ENGLISH

Cultural Reflection

Here you can find a reflection on my evolving journey toward linguistic and cultural fluency through study, immersion, and personal growth in the Spanish-speaking world.

San Miguel de Allende

-About Me-

Here you can find my resume, submitted to you in both English and Spanish.

-Coursework Samples-

Below contains examples of the coursework I inundated myself with at Clemson University.

SPAN 4350:

Spanish Competency

Examined the concept of kalos thanatos in Javier Cercas' La Monarca de las Sombras, analyzing how classical Greek ideals of heroic mortality influence young men's wartime psychology and exploring cross-cultural manifestations of honor-seeking behavior.

SPAN 4990:

Spanish Competency

Analyzed Carlos Saura's El Jardín de las Delicias through an allegorical lens, interpreting the protagonist's paralysis as a metaphor for Franco-era Spain's relationship with historical memory and examining the film's critique of political and economic complicity.

SPAN 3130:

Culture Competency

This essay examined how heroism and honor, as depicted in epic texts like El Cantar del Mío Cid, functioned as foundational social values that structured medieval Spanish society.

SPAN 4090:

Culture Competency

Conducted comparative analysis of Luisa Valenzuela's Los Censores and Pablo Neruda's Explico Algunas Cosas, identifying structural parallels and examining shared themes of political disillusionment in 1970s Latin American literature.

HUM 3010:

Literature and Humanities

Conducted comparative analysis of ancient texts including the Epic of Gilgamesh, the Iliad, the Bhagavad Gita, and the Dhammapada, exploring different philosophical approaches to mortality, meaning-making, and transcendence while arguing for engagement with rather than escape from material existence.

RUSS 3400:

Literature and Humanities

Examined the dichotomy between pagan and Christian traditions in Russian culture through analysis of Orlando Figes' Natasha's Dance, arguing for the cultural significance of pre-Christian Slavic beliefs and their role in sustaining Russian national identity against modernizing forces.

SPAN 4990

Humanities: Spanish

This essay analyzes Carlos Saura's film about Antonio Cano, a paralyzed industrialist whose family stages reconstructions of his past to access his fortune, interpreting the protagonist's physical and mental paralysis as a metaphor for Spain's collective struggle with Civil War memory under Franco's regime.

SPAN 4350

Humanities: Spanish

This comparative essay examines Ana Iris Simón's memoir "Feria" and Pedro Almodóvar's film "Volver," exploring how both works engage with rural La Mancha life, generational trauma, and the tension between idealized rural traditions and contemporary alienation, ultimately contrasting Simón's pessimism with Almodóvar's more hopeful vision.

-Outreach-

In addition to my extensive coursework at Clemson, I have taken measures to incorporate the culture and language I've learned so much about into my daily life. Below, you can find examples of my extracurricular work and activities, within and outside of Spanish.

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Clemson LIFE

At The Shepherd Hotel in downtown Clemson, nearly a third of the staff are people with disabilities, many connected to the ClemsonLIFE program. I’ve had the joy and pleasure of working alongside these students and alumni, sharing jokes, learning from their work ethic, and seeing their talents in action every day. Being part of that team has shown me how much we all can teach each other when we come together with respect, curiosity, and a kinder ethic in life.

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Community Involvement

I actively engage with the Hispanic community in the Upstate, attending Catholic church services conducted entirely in Spanish in Greenville, SC. I connect with community members at local markets and through my interactions with Hispanic coworkers at the Shepherd Hotel in downtown Clemson. These experiences allow me to practice Spanish in real-world settings while deepening my understanding of the culture and community.

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CU Catalyst Competition

I participated in Clemson’s Catalyst Competition, wherein teams of students develop innovative science or tech‑based business ideas. My team created a hypothetical company called Plast‑io, focused on making plastic products from farm waste. We then pitched our concept to a panel of investors, receiving feedback and competing for the best pitch.

Modern Architecture

-Documentation of Coursework-

Here you can find a list of all the relevant courses I've taken at Clemson University.

SPANISH COURSES

  • LAIB 1270 - Language and International Business

    • Introduction to the word of international business and ettiquite​​.

  • SPAN 2020 - Intermediate Spanish

    • ​I built on basic Spanish grammar, listened to and read more complex texts, expanded my vocabulary, and practiced speaking and writing with greater confidence.​​

  • SPAN 3050 - Intermediate Spanish Conversation & Composition

    • I worked on speaking fluently in Spanish, composing essays, and polishing writing mechanics, while refining pronunciation, intonation, and comprehension in spoken Spanish.

  • SPAN 3130 - Spanish Literary Surveryance

    • ​Worked on speaking fluently in Spanish, composing essays, and polishing writing mechanics, while refining pronunciation, intonation, and focused on a variety of texts from Spanish antiquity.​

  • SPAN 4050 - International Trade, Film, and Literature

    • ​I studied Spanish and Latin American films and literary works, analyzing how they reflect cultural, historical, and social issues. I practiced critical reading and viewing in Spanish, writing essays and leading discussions on themes ranging from history to globalization.​​

  • SPAN 4060 - Narrative Fiction

    • ​​I read modern narrative fiction in Spanish, analyzed character development, plot structure, style, and themes, and wrote interpretive essays that connected texts to broader literary trends, familiarizing myself with language further.

  • LANG 3000 - Intro to Linguistics

    • ​I learned about phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and language change; I practiced using linguistic tools to analyze language data.​

  • SPAN 4350 - Contemporary Hispanic Culture

    • I explored modern cultural, social, and political issues in Hispanic societies through media, arts, literature, and current events, comparing perspectives across countries.

  • SPAN 4990 - Selected Topics

    • I was exposed to seminal texts, films, and poems originating from Iberoamerica, delving into the history and political pressures that informed and inspired said works.​​

  • SPAN 3140 - Hispanic Linguistics

    • ​I studied linguistic aspects of Spanish including phonetics, morphology, syntax, semantics, dialectal variation, and historical changes in the language.​

  • SPAN 4090 - Comprehensive Writing in Spanish

    • I refined my capacity to write at an advanced level in Spanish, creating polished essays and learning to adapt style and structure for different rhetorical contexts.​​

BUSINESS COURSES

  • ECON 2110 - Principles of Microeconomics

    • ​I analyzed how individual consumers and firms make decisions, how markets function under different structures (competition, monopoly), and the impact of supply, demand, cost, and price.​

  • ENTR 1010 - Entreprenurial Mindset

    • I studied how entrepreneurs identify opportunity, take calculated risks, develop creative business ideas, and think strategically about starting and growing ventures.

  • MGT 2010 - Principles of Management

    • I learned about managerial functions like planning, organizing, leading, and controlling; I observed how managers coordinate teams, set goals, and make decisions.​​

  • MKT 3010 - Principles of Marketing

    • I learned core marketing concepts: product development, pricing, promotion, distribution, market segmentation, consumer behavior, and how to create marketing strategies.​​

  • ECON 2120 - Principles of Macroeconomics

    • ​I examined the overall economy: GDP, inflation, unemployment, fiscal and monetary policy, and how governments and central banks influence macro-level economic outcomes.​

  • LAW 3220 - Legal Environment of Business

    • I studied how laws and regulations impact business decisions: contracts, torts, agency, labor law, constitutional constraints, product liability, and regulatory compliance. Studocu​​
  • FIN 3060 - Corporation Finance​

    • I learned about financial decision-making in corporations: capital budgeting, cost of capital, financial structure, risk and return, and working capital management.

OTHER RELEVANT

  • COMM 2500 - Public Speaking

    • ​I gained experience in organizing speeches, analyzing audiences, using visual aids, improving delivery, and speaking persuasively and comfortably.​​​

  • RUSS 3400 - Russian Culture

    • I studied aspects of Russian history, literature, art, social norms and values, and how cultural identity evolved in Russia during the 19th and early 20th century​​

  • MATH 1020 - Business Calculus I

    • I applied limits, derivatives, and basic integral concepts to business-related problems like optimization and marginal analysis.​​

  • HIST 3840 - History of Modern France

    • I traced French history from (approximately) the 18th or 19th century to modern times, looking at political revolutions, social change, cultural movements, wars, and how France shaped and was shaped by Europe.​​

  • PHIL 3300 - Philosophy of Race, Class, and Gender

    • I studied philosophical theories about identity, perception, ethics, and how race, class, and gender intersect in society.​​

  • EDHC 3300 - Concepts of Human Capital Education and Development

    • ​I explored theories of education, how people develop skills and knowledge, the role of schooling and training in social and economic development, and how human capital affects individual and community outcomes.​

  • ENSP 2000 - Intro to Environmental Science

    • I examined ecosystems, human impact on the environment, pollution, climate change, conservation, and environmental policy and ethics.

  • HUM 3010 - Humanities

    • I examined the foundational texts that spurred human spirituality and allowed the flourishing of rational civilisation.​

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