Welcome
¡Hola a todos y bienvenidos a mi ePortfolio!
Hello everyone and welcome to my ePortfolio!
From traveling the world and studying various languages to experiencing the Gonzaga-in-Cuernavaca Spanish immersion program to serving as a Resident Assistant in Gonzaga University's Encountering Cultures Living-Learning Community to engaging in in-depth interview research with Gonzaga international students, language and culture and the interactions within and across them has been a huge theme in my academic and personal life. Having completed a university education at a Jesuit, social-justice-driven institution, the crucial majority-minority trends in the US and challenging global political climate have been presented to me from the distinct lenses of the fields within which I have studied—international relations, Spanish, sociology and additional languages and humanities. The vitality (and shortcomings) of intercultural communication seem to me more important than ever, and the Jesuit values that drove my college education compel me to work alongside those who see and experience the world differently than me. In Gonzaga's summer TESOL certification program, a course that includes the Summer Language Program practicum teaching immigrant and refugee students from Spokane Public Schools, the nuances of language, culture, politics, socialization and so much more came together in the classroom setting. Fascinated by this truly global learning and firsthand interaction with people from all over the world, I decided to go into Gonzaga's MA/TESL program from here. After I've completed the master's program, I hope to teach English abroad for a number of years, expanding my global citizenship and teaching experience, and then return to the US to continue multilingual education research in pursuit of a doctorate degree and career as a professor. I am excited to embark on this journey of exploring and advocating for the importance of linguistic and cultural understanding in the diverse world we live in today.
