When I was 12, Sister Brenda, a no-nonsense nun from the Bronx, appeared as the Principal of my hometown school 6 miles south of Quebec to declare that she would teach Spanish to every student. From that point, the sound of the language and anyone who spoke it made me feel centered, yet inspired to explore other places. During and after studying Spanish and Psychology in college, I travelled and studied in Spanish-speaking countries such as Costa Rica and Spain. After college, I worked in a behavioral cardiology lab to prepare for a career in psychology, but eventually I realized that I needed to be immersed again in the Spanish language. So I returned to graduate school for Spanish Literature. Now teaching Spanish with Service-Learning, I’m able to interweave my interests in language, culture and psychology to provide students with experiential opportunities as they engage with local Latino communities.
