Learning Spanish for me began as most students, in high school. But the tide turned for me as I was studying at the University of North Carolina, when I participated in a summer study abroad in Seville, Spain. At that point, I was very unsure about where my future would lead me, but after studying abroad, my goal was to move back to Spain to become fluent and proficient in Spanish, while testing my limits living independently and navigating what that would look like, thousands of miles from home pre-smartphone era. Those decisions led me to living and teaching English in Almeria, Spain, and then wanting to apply to grad school to study Spanish Linguistics. I had previously never taken a linguistics course, but living in Spain awakened so many questions in me as to why people speak the way they do, and why does it look and sound different from one place to the next? I attended UGA for my master’s in Hispanic Linguistics, developed a deeper understanding and connection with the ins and outs of the language, and started my professional career teaching Spanish in the department following graduation. I found that I truly enjoyed teaching college students and helping them find motivation for learning and connecting with the language and tying it back to their personal interests and goals.

 I enjoy forming bonds with my students while being part of their language-learning journey. I’ve also been fortunate to do this not only in the classroom, but on study abroad programs with students in Spain, Costa Rica, and, most recently, Argentina. My ultimate goal in teaching is for students to feel comfortable in the classroom to practice their communicative skills, realizing what they can do with the language, while simultaneously building intercultural competency to help amplify those communicative skills in the outside world. Language and culture are a large part of what makes us human, and I find their diverse complexities and nuances fascinating!