Class of 2008, History and Spanish Major
Hometown: Toledo, Ohio

Belinda Alvarado knew she wanted to major in history since high school, but it wasn’t until she took a few Spanish classes at Owens Community College in Toledo – and after she met her husband, whose native language is Spanish – that she decided to pursue that as a second major.
    
Alvarado, of Toledo, Ohio, began her college career close to home and transferred to The University of Findlay to finish her bachelor’s degree. “I love it here,” she said. “I think it’s one of the best learning environments I’ve been in. There’s so much going on here all the time; you get to meet so many people, and so many people from different countries. I love the international population – walking around hearing different languages is really interesting.”
   

Belinda Alvarado, right, works in the tutoring lab of the Intensive English Language Program (IELP) where she helps non-native speakers learn English.

After she graduates in December, Alvarado plans to purse a master’s degree in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) at UF, with a career goal of teaching English, translating or interpreting, anywhere in the world.
   
But it won’t be completely new to Alvarado. After completing her first semester at UF, she and her husband moved to Tamaulipas, Mexico, where his family lives. Alvarado studied and taught English at the La Universidad Autonoma de Tamaulipas for one year. She returned to the U.S. to complete her degree while her husband remains working in Mexico.
   
“I love this school so much,” said Alvarado, adding that the small classes give campus a family-like, close-knit atmosphere.

She also said that because her Spanish classes had a smaller faculty-to-student ratio than others, she developed her Spanish-speaking skills more so than she would have in a larger classroom setting. “We have so many opportunities to speak and not feel embarrassed,” she explained.
   
When she wasn’t in class, Alvarado spent her time studying to maintain a high GPA and has earned membership in the Alpha Mu Gamma National Foreign Language Honor Society and the Phi Theta history honor society. In 2008, she gave a presentation at UF’s Symposium for Scholarship and Creativity, an event dedicated to showcasing student academic research.

She also is a member of the UF Spanish Club, where she helped organize events. In addition, Alvarado works on campus in a tutoring lab and off campus in a local restaurant.
   
“I love school. I love learning. I can’t imagine why you wouldn’t learn new things,” she said. In addition to pursuing a master’s degree in TESOL, Alvarado also hopes to eventually pursue a master’s degree in Spanish or history.