Graduates of the Master’s Program in Spanish
Where are they now?
Christian Alvarez (BA, Latin American Studies/Spanish, 2007; MA in
Spanish, 2010): “I’m currently in my last semester as a part-time evening
student at New York Law School. I work full time as a law clerk for an
immigration law office in Manhattan’s financial district. Besides working on
about 95 percent of our cases, I supervise our supporting staff and train our
interns. I owe a large part of where I am to the training I received at Baylor. It
was actually through the financial sponsorship of the department that I was
able to travel to Manhattan to present a paper in Spanish about the evolution of online marketing
techniques for the Spanish-speaking consumer. That trip alone opened my mind to a world of
possibilities I had never considered before. I am eternally grateful I had the support from the
Modern Languages & Cultures department. I am confident that they transform lives and
empower every student to pursue and achieve their dreams no matter what they may be.”
Amanda Beck (BA in University Scholars [Spanish and Religion], 2006; MA
in Spanish, 2009): “I am at LeTourneau University as the Study Abroad
Program coordinator. Studying Spanish and taking part in the summer
program in Madrid were two major things that contributed to me getting this
job. It’s only day two on the job but I think it’s going to be awesome!”
Melissa Carruth (MA in Spanish, 2011): “I am at the University of Georgia
as a PhD student, with an emphasis on contemporary Latin American
literature. I received a Teaching Assistantship, and am teaching two
intermediate Spanish classes per semester. I’ve also interpreted for a local
church for five years. I also translated for a business to help resolve some
conflict between a company (based in the USA) and one of its customers
(based in Mexico). This translated message resulted in a $40,000 difference
as a reasonable negotiation was reached in resolving that conflict. I understand that it meant a lot
that the Mexican company received the very sensitive message in their own language and with
an awareness of cultural and linguistic connotations within the letter’s discourse. Thanks so
much for everything the oh-so-wonderful Baylor faculty taught me!”
Captain Andy Desantiago (MA in Spanish, 2013): “I teach at West Point and
work at the Department of Foreign Languages at the U.S. Military Academy.
I’m currently working as a Spanish instructor, course director and academic
advisor to the Class of 2014 Spanish language majors and minors. I’m also the
head Semester-Abroad Program coordinator for our affiliates in Spain —
Academia General Militar in Zaragoza, the Center of Modern Languages at
the University of Granada and the University of Zaragoza. All in all it’s been a blast and I’ve
enjoyed the multifaceted nature of my work — mostly because of the various hats I got to wear
at Baylor in the Spanish program there, which included student, TA, tutor and teacher.”
Ross Natividad (BA in Spanish/International Studies, 2010; MA in Spanish, 2012; Fulbright
Scholar, 2012-2013): “I’m currently in law school at the College of William & Mary in
Williamsburg, Virginia.”
Sally Martinez (BA in Spanish, 2010; MA in Spanish, 2012): “I live in
Lubbock and work at Texas Tech Health Science Center. I am currently using
my background in Spanish as the coordinator, translator and Spanish instructor
for TTUHSC Pediatrics — and I love it! As coordinator, I apply all the skills I
developed as a Baylor graduate student to succeed in this position. I’m so
thankful for the training I had in the graduate program because it has opened
countless doors for me — even in the healthcare field. This May I will also begin TTUHSC’s
physician assistant program. I’m very excited to use my Spanish-speaking skills as a PA student
serving the Hispanic communities near my hometown.”
Lila McDowell-Carlsen (BA in Spanish, 2003; MA in Spanish, 2005): “I
received a PhD in Latin American literature from the University of CaliforniaRiverside in 2008. I now have my dream job as an assistant professor of
Hispanic studies at Pepperdine University in Malibu, California, where I teach
courses on Latin American culture and literature as well as intermediate and
advanced Spanish. I am passionate about my teaching and research, and I hope
to inspire my students the same way the Baylor faculty inspired me. I am forever indebted to the
Baylor Spanish faculty for their world-class teaching and mentorship that prepared me for
doctoral studies after Baylor. My thesis adviser, Dr. Guillermo García-Corales, was fundamental
in helping me find my scholarly niche in the field of contemporary Latin American literary
studies.”
Alicia M. Reyes-Barriéntez (BA in Spanish and Latin American Studies,
2005; MA in Spanish, 2007): “My experience at Baylor, both undergraduate
and graduate, fully prepared me for the doctoral program in which I am now
enrolled. I am currently a PhD candidate in political science at Duke University
and a recipient of the National Science Foundation Graduate Research
Fellowship. I decided to apply to graduate school only after careful dialogue
with and encouragement from many of my academic mentors at Baylor,
primarily from the Spanish department, who encouraged me along that path. As a major in
Spanish at Baylor, I honed my native language skills and most importantly, I learned to think
critically about the world around me through the careful examination of literature. Writing a
thesis as part of my Master’s program in Spanish afforded me the opportunities for original
research and writing. To this day, I continue to have close relationships with my Spanish
professors at Baylor, who at every step of my professional and personal careers have provided
much-needed support and guidance. I am ever thankful for my experience in the Spanish division
at Baylor, which fostered my excitement for learning and confirmed my calling to teach.”