Guest Jeff Botelho, Dartmouth ’96, had always been interested in languages. In college, he studied history and Spanish. When he studied abroad and realized that his interest and skill in learning languages could open the world to him, he knew he wanted a career that would allow him to use those skills. He began working in consumer goods in Gillette’s Latin American group, first making his Spanish-speaking colleagues in Boston look good and then working for the company in Mexico. For as much as he was happy living in another culture and as fluent as he’d become, he found the Mexico City too big and so went back to his home town in Massachusetts.

He wanted to use his Spanish fluency, so he taught the language in Massachusetts schools. In time, he found he wasn’t actually speaking Spanish all that much and wanted to use his language skills in a more functional way. He went to law school and decided that he could use his languages practicing immigration law. He worked at a firm for a year but quickly realized that he could do much better at a more reasonable cost for his removal and deportation defense work. He started his own firm in 2009.

Just as language provides a connection to his clients day to day, learning Portuguese provided him with a deeper connection with generations of Botelhos (who had come from the Azores). There also came a time when his faith—which he hadn’t been very aware of for quite a while—became another way to forge a deeper connection to others, to himself, and to the greater world around him.

In this episode, find out from Jeff how listening to the language of the heart and having a little faith can help guide you…on ROADS TAKEN...with Leslie Jennings Rowley.

About This Episode's Guest

Jeff Botelho is an immigration attorney who has been practicing in his own firm in Hollywood, Florida, since 2009. He's fluent in Spanish and English and is also accomplished in his family's own Portuguese.

Executive Producer/Host: Leslie Jennings Rowley

Music: Brian Burrows

Find more episodes at https://roadstakenshow.com

Email the show at RoadsTakenShow@gmail.com

Find more episodes at https://roadstakenshow.com

Executive Producer/Host: Leslie Jennings Rowley

Music: Brian Burrows

Email the show at RoadsTakenShow@gmail.com

Language of the Heart: Jeff Botelho on serving others and living by faith

Roads Taken