Outreach
"The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others." - Mahatma Gandhi
PSUxLing5 Poster Session, October 2018
(Photo courtesy of Center for Language Science)
One of the most important things we can do with our time and resources is give back to the communities that shape us, making opportunities for advancement, connection, and learning accessible to anyone who seeks it. Whether these opportunities be inside or outside of the university, they have expanded my perspective and informed my approach to teaching, career goals, and how I live each day.
I believe in the spirit of community. Involvement in the communities that sustain us is imperative as students, researchers, and instructors. The types of outreach with which I have been involved aim to promote exploration in science, teaching, and general research, and more generally bring our work to the communities which inspire us. Outside of the academic setting, I am also interested in affordable housing initiatives.
Currently, I am serving as a mentor with the Mentoring for the Future of Global Literary and Linguistic Studies at Penn State. This program provides guidance and mentorship to students in their final year of undergraduate programs as they navigate the process of applying and transitioning to graudate school. I am also an active member of the State College Young Professionals, a group dedicated to the social and professional development and engagement of professionals in the Centre region.
As a graduate student at Penn State, I was regularly involved with organizations and events that promote the training and advancement of both undergraduate and graduate students, and the sharing of linguistic research with the greater State College community. These organizations include:
Penn State Undergraduate Exhibition in Hispanic and General Linguistics (PSUxLing)
Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese Graduate Student Organization (SIPGSO)
Sigma Delta Pi (Alpha Beta Iota Chapter), National Collegiate Hispanic Honor Society
The Graduate Exhibition with the Penn State Graduate School
As a student at North Carolina State University, I engaged with attendees at the community-based Fiesta del Pueblo through the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures. This event is hosted annually to highlight Latin American culture, art, and diversity in the Raleigh area. The Hispanic Linguistics Program at NC State specifically provides information about linguistic diversity in North Carolina and collects and shares data on language variation in Spanish phrases in Wake County.
At Appalachian State University, I was an active member of Psi Chi, The International Honor Society in Psychology. Within Psi Chi, I served as for two years as Secretary, and regularly participated in community outreach events with local groups and organizations.
Outside of the academic setting, I have been actively involved since 2008 with the Appalachia Service Project, a non-profit organization that provides no-cost emergency home repair to families in Central Appalachia. I also served with PSU Habitat for Humanity in greater Centre County.