I earned my Master of Arts in Spanish from Saint Louis University in 1992. The program’s comprehensive curriculum allowed me to explore Peninsular and Latin American literature, philosophy, and culture, as well as linguistics, Spanish-English contrast analysis, and foreign language teaching methods.

As a graduate teaching assistant in the Department of Modern and Classical Languages, I taught two undergraduate Spanish courses per semester while completing my degree. My professors and mentors inspired me to fully embrace Spanish as my second language and apply my academic training to a career in teaching. This experience was both enriching and transformative, shaping my lifelong commitment to language education.

As a graduate student and teaching assistant, I was fully immersed in the Spanish language—academically, socially, and professionally. Studying Spanish language and Hispanic culture in depth, living and learning alongside native speakers on campus, and experiencing firsthand the complexities of second language acquisition all contributed to a profound and formative learning experience. These moments deepened my passion for teaching and learning Spanish, fostering a lifelong connection to the Spanish-speaking world.

Master's Thesis

Análisis crítico de Las Cartas de relación de Hernán Cortés (1519-1526): Una narrativa construida de la conquista y el silencio indígena

Achievement

The Spanish M.A. program at Saint Louis University (SLU) provided me with the opportunity to deeply explore the Spanish language and develop a strong foundation in Hispanic culture and civilization.

I completed my M.A. in Spanish in 1992 and began teaching Spanish at several local high schools, both public and private, while also pursuing my passion for music and the recording arts in my spare time. In 1995, I returned to SLU to work full-time as the Manager of the Language Learning Center in the College of Arts & Sciences.

During this time, I continued teaching Spanish at SLU while expanding my linguistic repertoire through coursework in Brazilian Portuguese, French, and Russian, alongside studies in math and science. My curiosity and passion for learning extended beyond languages—I pursued everything that intrigued me, including my lifelong love for the guitar.

Ultimately, I realized that my love for learning languages was more than just an academic pursuit—it was a calling to teach. I began experimenting with instructional technology and multimedia as tools for enhancing Spanish instruction and found immense purpose in helping other language instructors integrate educational technology into their classrooms effectively.

In March 2003, I was accepted into the Education Specialist (Ed.Sp.) program in Educational Technology at the University of Missouri’s School of Information Science and Learning Technologies, marking the next step in my journey as an educator and instructional leader.