- Doctoral Student
- Graduate Assistant-Teaching
Born and raised in the beautiful mountains of Boyacá, Colombia. I completed a B.A. in Performing Arts at the Universidad Central in Bogotá, and a M.A in Spanish/Literature at Portland State University in The US. After working for a few years as an actress in theater, I leapt into the field of education and started to develop a deeper understanding of my own culture and language through the teaching of Spanish and the Hispanic Literature.
As a PhD candidate in Language, Culture, and Literatures, I am thrilled to acquire knowledge, to give structure to my research interests, and to continue exploring my artistic and educational skills. My research area focuses on the study of the mind/body connection while learning a second language. I mainly study how the use of theater techniques (theater games, acting, improvisation, playwright) help second language learners to develop better communication skills from a more experiential-based encounter. I am interested in understanding how theater techniques are able to bring physical, emotional, and social skills during their learning process. In addition to this, I also enjoy studying the symbolic world of some Hispanic films, and Lorca’s work. One of my favorite films: Vaho (Directed by Alejandro Gerber).
Out from school and work, I try to keep myself busy doing yoga, rolling skating, reading different kinds of books, and dancing.