Introduction to New Writer: Charla

¡Feliz viernes a todos!

I am new to blogging but am so excited to be writing for such an awesome group of followers! My name is Charla and I am in my second year as a Master’s candidate in Latin American Studies at the University of New Mexico (UNM). I am pleased to be working under the supervision of Keira as a graduate assistant in K-12 outreach programs at the UNM Latin American & Iberian Institute. I will be your World Wide Web (WWW) blogger every Friday for this year and I look forward to bringing you a multitude of culturally diverse and dynamic resources every week! Before I post my first WWW resource, I wanted to take some time to introduce myself and my interests in Latin America! My interests in Latin America first derived from a service trip I did to Ochomogo, Nicaragua, in 2011. After this exposure to a Latin American country, I fell in love with the traditions, music, culture, and languages of the region and knew for certain I would dedicate a major part of my life to studying it. Subsequently, I spent six months in Puebla, Mexico, studying at the Universidad Popular Autónoma del Estado de Puebla. While enrolled, I volunteered in a preschool, where I taught Basic English to children between the ages of 3 and 5, which is the most memorable part of my study abroad experience.

I came to UNM after completing my Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Spanish Literature at Roanoke College in Salem, Virginia. After graduating in May 2014, I traveled to Colombia to backpack the country for a month with friends. More recently, over this past summer, I spent time in different parts of Cuba and Haiti, where I first studied economic sustainability and then Haitian Creole, respectively. All of my experiences thus far have led me to pursue concentrations in economics and gender studies here at UNM, where I am also working as a graduate assistant.

Outside of school, I enjoy running, going to the movie theater, and eating half-price appetizers at Applebee’s after 9pm. Since childhood, I have aspired to become a teacher and still have hopes of doing so one day. I am considering bilingual education as a career choice down the road, but I am currently uncertain what my next step will be directly following graduation. Nevertheless, I feel very blessed to be a part of this program and I am so happy to be working with such great faculty, students, and community members.

With warmest wishes,

Charla