SEARCH RESULTS

This past summer, I was lucky enough to study abroad with the University of Arizona. This experience taught me so much about the world and I am so lucky to have experienced it! I studied in Spain and while I was there I took a photography course. In the photography course, we learned about taking photos to tell a story and how to take professional photographs on our phones. Our teacher was incredibly knowledgeable about the city of Madrid and it made going to class every day an adventure. The second class I took while I was abroad was a Spanish Dance class. My teacher didn't speak English very well and understanding each other was sometimes challenging but I learned that language isn't the most important thing. We developed our own way of communicating and I along with other students in the class supported one another to help communicate. Studying abroad was a chance for me to apply the 8 years of Spanish classes that I have been taking. Living in a foreign country for six weeks can sometimes be scary but knowing that I knew the language was great. Madrid gave me the confidence to speak to locals and further immerse myself in the culture. In most of my Spanish classes, I had such a large lack of confidence when it came to speaking in front of the class or in front of my professors. In Spain, it was almost like I was forced to not second guess myself because I really had to communicate. Learning to not second guess myself was one of the best things I could have learned and since I've been back home, it helped me have confidence in every aspect of my life. This opportunity also gave me the chance to meet students from other schools within the United States. I also met students from the University of Arizona that I would have never met if it wasn't for this program. From finding dinner spots every night and teaching each other how to use the metro, we got very close very fast. We explored the city together and created long lasting bonds. I loved getting to know my roommates and spending time with them. It was also nice to have a familliar face in such a large city where everything is different. Studying abroad taught me that getting to know people is never a bad idea, and now I have some new friends on campus!

When I was younger, I would help my grandma set up her preschool classroom every year. Even though I was young myself, I still wished that I could miss my 3rd-grade class and help out in the preschool. I loved being able to express my creativity and make something that young children would absolutely love. My family on my dad's side is a big Mexican family and I've been surrounded by young children my whole life. Ever since I was ten, my four older cousins had 1-4 children each which made for some very interesting Thanksgivings and Christmases. Because I am also the oldest in my family and the first grandchild, I was the first to babysit everyone and change diapers. I had no idea what I wanted to do until just a few months before college started. After starting a new job that I ended up loving, I realized that I wanted to be a kindergarten teacher. I always knew that I wanted to do something that helped children and did not involve blood or guts. I'm very happy and so fortunate that I am on my journey to becoming a teacher at the University of Arizona! I am currently looking for a job to fit into my schedule this semester. I'm looking to expand for something that isn't necessarily children focused but I wouldn't be upset if that was the case! I'm looking for a retail role so I can build off of some of the skills that I gathered while working at the Sheraton Grand at Wild Horse Pass and within the Kyrene School District!

In my junior year of high school, I started working at an after-school program for elementary students. I fell in love with the job and my favorite part of the day was picking up the kindergarteners from their class and talking to them about their day. At that job, I came up with activities for them to do. My supervisor would give me themes and guidelines and I would get inspiration from sites like Pinterest, or I would ask my grandma for some help! The students loved most of my activities and sometimes I made huge messes with them. There was one time when the head supervisor was at my site and she watched as the kids made a large mess on the stage where we were doing sensory bins. I was so embarrassed that it was my idea and it made such a huge mess that I convinced myself I was going to be in trouble. While I was cleaning up the stage with my head supervisor, she turned to me and told me that this was one of the best activities that she's ever witnessed and she had never seen the students so engaged. I was so excited and when I asked her about what to do about the mess, she told me she would make a couple of phone calls and it would all be okay. I also worked at the Sheraton Grand Wildhorse Pass as a recreation attendant. I was able to assist children in making crafts and also play games with them around the hotel. Another part of the job was being able to come up with activities on the fly. There was one specific time where we needed to make an obstacle course for some kids and I helped my coworkers find materials that we could use to make things more engaging for the children. A specific memory from that job that still sticks with me today was when I saw a child who was struggling with the obstacle course and I ran inside to grab him a different activity that he would understand more. When his mom saw what I had done, she got super emotional. She told me that her son had recently been diagnosed with autism and I could tell that she felt embarrassed that her son could not do the obstacle course like the other children. I told her it was okay and that he clearly liked the other activity I had gotten out for him more than the obstacle course. The mother thanked me and told me that she hoped I was going into education because I handled the situation with her son so well. Currently I am working as a part time babysitter on both Care.com and the Busy Bees babysitting app. Because I am a full time student, it can be challenging to find ways to make money and these applications make it easier to utilize my free time and spend time doing something I love. Feel free to look at my accounts or set them up at the bottom of my contact page.

Volunteering is something that I am very passionate about. In high school I completed over 60 hours of community service through NHS and other school sponsered clubs. Now that I am in college, I love being part of a sorority because there are so many volunteer opportunites and events that happen! One of my favorite events was my first and it was called "Wings for Wishes". Because my sorority supports Make A Wish, we raised 10,000 dollars for the foundation and hosted the event at our house. We charged 5-7 dollars for tickets and once they paid, the guests were able to come inside and enjoy some Buffalo Wild Wings! My sisters and I were all working to make sure that everything looked clean, was enjoyable for our guests, and made sure the house was appropriately decorated. Throughout my life, I hope to continue voluenteering and making a difference for people all over the world!