I am currently completing a bachelor’s degree in Spanish education at the University of Arkansas with a minor in Latin American studies. I want to challenge myself to improve the curriculum for heritage Spanish speakers. I also plan on going above and beyond for my future students so that Spanish class is more than just an elective, by incorporating social-emotional learning techniques and providing them with the tools to see how it’s interconnected with many other careers and disciplines.
I am a Mexican-American woman and a first-generation college student, so I am overwhelmed with gratitude to have an opportunity to go to graduate school. I feel privileged to be where I am now, and it’s all thanks to my parents’ sacrifices. They left their home country to give my sisters and I a chance at a better future. They worked day and night to provide for us, even if it meant missing important milestones in our lives. They were always working; I’m ashamed to admit that I resented them growing up because they were never there. In my eyes, they chose work over my sisters and I, but now I understand why. I know it wasn’t easy for them to work 12-hour shifts every day to put food on the table and to be able to afford our school supplies. Their sacrifices were worth it! They gave me the resources I needed to graduate high school, to attend college, and I was even able to study abroad. My accomplishments are their accomplishments. Being able to further my career and get a master’s degree is a luxury, and I am ready to reap all the benefits it has to offer.
I have a profound love for learning about other cultures and my sense of purpose comes from helping others discover themselves and presenting information that may guide them to find their sense of purpose. This is why I am studying to be a Spanish teacher. As a Spanish teacher not only will I be learning about numerous Spanish-speaking cultures and teaching students to say “Hi” in another language. It is so much deeper than that. When my family from Mexico hears that I want to be a Spanish teacher they laugh, “[Why Spanish? You already know how to speak Spanish, do something that matters. . . you’re wasting money on that profession.” I couldn’t disagree more, teaching others Spanish allows them to connect with people from cultures all around. Spanish can also provide a sense of belonging for Latin Americans. The Spanish language is so intimate and integrated with our history.
I can use my study abroad experience to compare education systems in different countries and use my exposure to a variety of cultures to the benefit of my future students. I believe that experience made me more empathetic toward others’ upbringings and now I can implement learning methods from my study abroad experience in my classroom. I have worked with students in educational settings since 2019, I was a junior in high school. Throughout the years, I have progressively become more impassioned about learning more about how students learn, learning the depths of linguistics, and learning the multiple approaches to helping diverse students that come from different socioeconomic backgrounds.
I am looking for opportunities to further my education through a master’s degree program, research, and/or internships and job opportunities. I would like to explore the plethora of linguistic challenges in order to develop a process to minimize them.
