Introduções

Introduções

Let's get to know each other! Vamos nos conhecer. 

Write about yourself. Where are you from? Where do you live? What's your major? Where do you study? Why are you taking Portuguese?  Do you have any hobbies? You can write in English. Post your introduction by clicking on "comments".

Oi gente! My name is Silvana. I'm your instructor this summer. I'm from Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais. I live in Scottsdale with my family, Bella (far left), Quillan (my stepson), Chris, my husband James, Gabbie (Bella twin). I'm also a student at ASU, finishing my PhD in Spanish Linguistics. I love to teach my language and culture! I love to travel! This photo is from last summer, in the Switzerland Alps!

Tabitha

Oi classe! My name is Tabitha. I am 23 years old and I live in New Hampshire. I study Spanish at ASU with a minor in Business. I fell in love with Spanish and the culture of many Spanish speaking countries and I plan to visit as many of them as possible. I am a shift manager at Starbucks, a company I am so proud and grateful to work for. I am very interested in what can be done through business to make a positive impact in the world. I am passionate about sustainability, the environment, local food, travel, yoga, and coffee. I am really excited to take this class and learn a third language as well as the culture of Portuguese speaking countries!


Eduardo

Hello everyone, my name is Eduardo. I am originally from Mexico. My family and I relocated to the U.S. when I was 9 years old. I am married and this is my family. From left to right, Myself, Bronze, Melissa, Blaze & Kruze. I currently live in a small town about an hour north of Kansas City, MO. The most important thing for me is spending time with my family. We love baseball and basketball. Currently we are doing lots of summer baseball and basketball.  My future goal is to finish my Spanish degree here at ASU. I decided to pursue Spanish because I didn't want to forget my heritage and culture and above all i wanted to better my Spanish so I could pass that down to my kids. Some day I would like to become a Spanish teacher. I love listening to all kinds of Spanish music, I love the theater, I love dancing and of course my family and I love to travel.

Wilson

Oi! My name is Wilson. I'm originally from Hartwell, GA (a small rural town near the South Carolina border) but I currently live in Atlanta, GA. I have a degree in Nursing and I'm currently a nurse at Peachford Behavioral Health System and work with children and adolescents. I also serve Cobb County 4-H, a youth development organization, as the AmeriCorps Service Member. My passion is working with children and my goal is to get a job at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta or on a pediatric unit. I'm currently pursuing a a Bachelors in Spanish and plan to obtain my Masters in Nursing with a major in nursing education. I enjoy watching Netflix, Hulu (Grey's Anatomy), watching the Atlanta Braves play and win, going to summer camp with children and serving as the camp nurse and going to local craft breweries to drink beer and hanging out with friends. The picture above is my younger sister, my mom, and myself at a Braves game at SunTrust Park this season.

José C.

My name is José Castellón. Im originally from Nicaragua, but I moved to the US almost 8 years ago. I live in Alhambra, CA. Im a Spanish major and after getting my Bachelors I plan to obtain my Masters in Teaching with a single credential. I want to be a Spanish teacher. I am taking this class as part of my requirement, but I really like the language. I enjoy running, hiking, watching movies (horror and comedies are my favorites) I also watch TV shows like This Is US, How To Get Away With Murder, The Resident. I have two dogs, a miniature schnauzer and a cocker spaniel.

Sarah C.

Hi everyone! My name is Sarah Carroll and I am originally from Phoenix and currently live in Tempe. I am a junior majoring in nursing and Spanish and plan to graduate in Fall 2019. I have a passion for helping people and speaking the Spanish language. Aside from my interest in the language and culture, I hope to use my skills and knowledge to care for Spanish speaking patients so that they can receive quality care. Additionally, I plan to specialize in oncology and further my education by attending naturopathic medical school in hopes to become a naturopathic doctor. I enjoy walking, watching my favorite shows and spending time with my family! I am excited for this semester and can't wait to learn about the Portuguese language.

Angie

My name is Angie. I grew up outside of Seattle, WA but I've been in AZ for 11 years now. I'm coming back to school later in life - I earned my first BS in Travel and Tourism in 1994 and I've been working in my field since 1995. My children are grown - in fact, my daughter is graduating from NAU this month and I couldn't be prouder of her - so now I am free to pursue my passions in languages and cultures. My end goal is the PhD in International Letters and Cultures and the MA in Linguistics. My language background is in French but the Portuguese fascinates me and I have enough Spanish that I picked the Portuguese up very easily. My comprehension is good but the retention will take some work. This is my first class in 24 years and it's a bit overwhelming - the technology! - but I'm excited about the class and about the language and look forward to getting to know all of you!

Deyvi

Hello everyone! My name is Deyvi. I'm the one in the middle. I live in the beautiful western Massachusetts area. The picture above was taken in the town I currently live in. I'm originally from Lima, Perú. For the last 4 years, I have been working as an on-site Spanish<>English interpreter. I love what I do. It's very rewarding to interpret for the limited English proficient Spanish speakers in my area. I would like to become a Spanish<>English translator as well which is why I decided to get my degree in Spanish. This course is a requirement for my major. However, I'm very excited to learn about the similarities and differences between Portuguese and Spanish. I've always loved how warm and rounded the Portuguese language sounds. In my free time, I enjoy reading, taking nature photographs, and hiking the local mountain ranges.

Brittany

Hi Class!

I’m Brittany and I am a court stenographer in the First Judicial District in Minnesota. I am currently trying to finish my Spanish degree online through ASU and this class is required for the major. I am excited to take this class because my sister lived in Portuguese speaking countries for about 4 years. It will be nice to converse with her some. My hobbies include making fondant cakes and cake pops, travel, and dancing. I love dancing and try to do it as much as possible. I try to get out salsa dancing at least a few times a week.  

Erik C.

Olá!  Meu nome é Erik Clark.  I am originally from Cincinnati, Ohio but moved to Atlanta, Georgia a couple of years ago.  I work at Starbucks because of their program with ASU which is helping me to pursue a degree in Spanish.  I prefer to study in my office because the silence helps me to concentrate more easily.  I am taking Portuguese because it is required for my major but also because I enjoy learning new languages.  I have a Boston Terrier puppy who is very active and takes up most of my free time.  When I am not at working or completing homework, I am often taking her to the dog park or to the Chattahoochee River to play fetch.  I am hoping that this class will assist in my abilities in learning new languages. Thanks for reading!

David

Hello everyone. My name is David and this is my first semester at ASU, but I’m not sure if that really makes me a Freshman because I’ve a brought a lot of credits from many institutions with me. I’m working on getting a BA in Spanish, that I should be able to finish by the end of next year. I’m originally from San Diego CA, but have moved around quite a bit with my wife Claudia. This picture is of me and my wife outside of Las Vegas, we really love to travel and take trips as often as possible

Horacio

 Hello Everyone,

First impressions are characteristically strong and form a solid idea of how someone is perceived by others. This is my humble attempt to have all of you know a little about me.

My name is Horacio Ozaetta and I am completing my bachelor's degree in Spanish at ASU. I am a returning college student after a long 10 year hiatus. I am originally from El Paso, TX but I currently reside in the beautiful Emerald City of Seattle, WA. I have been married to my partner Luis Alvarado for the last 3 years but we have been together for 10 amazing years! I am a partner at Starbucks and I am also a cosmetologist by profession. I have been doing hair for the last 7 years and enjoy it intensely. My goal for this course is to expand my knowledge in the Portuguese language to strengthen my understanding of the world-wide Hispanic culture.  Some hobbies I enjoy the most are international cinema, traveling, reading, and wine. My professional goals are to become an attorney with an emphasis in immigration law or a Spanish literature professor. I am very excited to meet all of you and share our passion for languages!

Obrigado!

Malcome

Hello class my  name is Malcome and this is my first year at ASU. I am a Spanish major and I am from Chicago. This will be my second bachelor's degree and I plan to use the language at my job. I work in patient administration in a clinic where many patients speak Spanish. This class is a requirement for  my major but I am open to learning as many languages as i possible can. In my free time I like to work out and I love running. Hope to learn a lot from you all.

Jaime

Hello Everyone my name is Jaime Estrada, I am from what we call a drive by town of Kermit, Texas (yes like the frog). Funny thing about it is that Kermit the Frog actually came to our town once for homecoming. It was a big thing, the town painted one of the water towers with Kermit's face and even renamed town hall street Kermit The Frog street! Anyways, I am 24 my family is from Mexico. I grew up there for a bit in Acuna, Coahilla, Mexico, until it was time for me to start school. After graduating high school I went to community college to become a teacher. When it came time for me to transfer to a university I could not afford it. So I was obligated to join the only money making workforce in my area, the oil field. I worked for about six months before I had a terrible wreck. I was bed bound for about 5 months before I was sent to rehab. Where I had to learn to walk again, use my right hand, battle me depression, my PTSD and just overall find myself again.

Haley

Oi todos! Me nome é Haley Penny.

I am a Junior from Phoenix pursuing a BA in Spanish, a BS in Sustainability, and a TESOL certificate. I have always loved languages and experiencing different cultures so I am unbelievably excited to take a formal Portuguese class. This fall I will be studying abroad in San Sebastián, Spain and it is my goal to learn some Euskera and also travel to Portugal for a long weekend (hopefully knowing enough to converse). Kids are amazing and ultimately, I would love to speak 6 or 7 languages fluently (including Portuguese) and teach languages across the world.

I love staying fit, going to concerts, baking, and of course traveling (which I assume almost all of us enjoy). I'm so excited that we are focusing on Brazil this session because it is a country that has been on my bucket list for a while. This picture is of my friend Jacquie and me at our internship with The Be Kind People Project this spring.

Obrigada!

Simeon

Olá! Me chamo Simeon. Sou de Minneapolis, EE.UU.

I've spent the last five years teaching English in the Middle East. Now I'm working on combining my knowledge of linguistics with the field of machine learning. I'm enrolled in the B.A. Spanish program as a way to get back into university studies after several years of working.

Currently I'm based in Croatia for the summer, and I plan to live and work here for the next couple years. My hobbies include rock climbing, reading, beaches, and pub trivia. Obviously I travel a lot as well so I guess that. 

Portuguese is the third language I'm studying at the moment (Spanish and Croatian already take a lot of my attention). However, I hope that once our class finishes I can continue to maintain a rudimentary familiarity with the language through conversation partners and DuoLingo.

Tchau!


Alfonso Alvarez

  Oi companheiros, me chamo Alfonso Alvarez. I am from Los Angeles, California, and my family is originally from Jalisco, Mexico. I am working on my BA in Spanish. I first became interested in Portuguese back in 2011. This was the year that, while researching my direct paternal lineage, I learned that my first paternal ancestor in the Americas was actually Portuguese, and not Spanish. His name was Lourenço Alvares, and he was born around the area of Póvoa de Varzim, on the northern coast of Portugal. When he was a young man (late 1500's), Portugal became part of the Spanish Empire, and that is when he settled in New Spain (Old name for Mexico before 1821). I began trying to learn Portuguese off and on using a program called Mondly. I make my children learn words with me so that they will eventually speak three languages (they are equally as fluent in Spanish and English)
I love to travel, keep physically fit,  and learn about history and culture. I also love all different types music and food.  I just came back from having a great time in Andalucia (southern Spain). This was the first time my children had been there, so they were blown away by all of the history and culture there is to see. 
It is a pleasure to be here with you all. Obrigado.

Rosario Karely Hernandez 

Hello.  My name is Rosario Karely Hernandez and I go by Karely, I’m 28 years old.  I was born in Mexico and raise there until my early teens.  Me and my family moved to Texas and that’s were I currently live.  My town’s name is Brownsville, TX we are about an hour away from South Padre Island.  My major is Spanish, with intentions of becoming a Spanish Teacher.  I’m taking Portuguese class because I found the language and culture so fascinating, actually one of my former geography professor recommended me to take this class since I’ll be learning not only the language but a little bit of its culture, sociology, and geography.  Some of my hobbies are to read, Netflix binge, crochet, and hang out with my family, friends and dog.

Valaria Maestas

Hello! My name is Valaria and I currently live in Peoria, Arizona. I'm double majoring in Spanish and Geography with hopes to be an English teacher in Spain. I fell in love with the culture out there when I studied abroad. This is a required course for my Spanish major, but I love learning about new cultures, so I'm excited for this course! I enjoy traveling as much as I can and can't wait to graduate next spring so I can move to Spain!

Kerry B.

Oi Classe! My name is Kerry Burkhart and I'm originally from Syracuse, New York but I now live in Austin, Texas. I'm currently working as a professional musician and teaching private guitar lessons. I'm also a guitar player in the National Guard Band. After graduating high school in 2005, I spent nearly seven years in the Army--the first few years I spent working in Military Intelligence and the remaining years I worked in the Army Band. While in the military I lived and worked in various different states here in the U.S. including Fort Riley, Kansas for three years. I also did two year-long tours in South Korea and spent seven months in Basra, Iraq. Although sometimes difficult, I had some pretty interesting experiences while I was in the military, but in 2012 I decided that I wanted to do something different and go back to school. I had always loved learning about different cultures and was very interested in languages as well; therefore, after I got out of the Army I decided to spend some time traveling and learning Spanish. I first went to Madrid, Spain and spent a few months there taking immersion classes. I then decided to go the cheaper route so I packed up my stuff and flew to Bogota, Colombia. I ended up living in Colombia for nearly eight months and took more Spanish immersion classes and also took a semester in the National University of Colombia. I also did a bit of traveling inside the country and also spent some time volunteering at orphanages. After I came back to the states I decided to study my other passion--music. I have recently graduated from Texas State University with a degree in Jazz Studies. I plan on going back to get my master's in either Adult Education with ESL Certification or Spanish. I'd like to also learn Portuguese since I listen to a lot of music from Brasil including one of my favorite bands--Natiruts.

Lourdes

Oi Classe! My name is Lourdes. I live in the beautiful Southern California just north of Downtown Los Angeles in a place referred to as "The Valley". I have lived here all my life. I am a Barista for Starbucks, a company I couldn't be more proud to work for(despite the recent accusations, it really is a wonderful company). I have been with Starbucks for four years. I also have a second job(California life is expensive) as a server/catering specialist at the Olive garden. Portuguese 320 is my 4th course here at ASU. After taking four years off, i finally decided to go back. It hasn't been easy but it sure has been interesting. I recently visited ASU-Tempe campus in early May and got to meet my counselor and past professors. Everyone has been great and I cant wait to see where this journey takes me.
    When I have free time, I enjoy drawing and sketching as well as baking. I am a Huge Disney Fan, as well as UCLA college Football fan. When I have little breaks I like to drive out to Phoenix, Arizona where I have two adorable godsons hence the trip I made two weeks ago. My current major is Spanish with a minor in Media Analysis. I was able to tour NBC studios out in Phoenix, Arizona thanks to my Godsons father who works as a producer there and I fell in love. I would love to work in either radio or TV station supporting all types of minorities.
      The picture above is a little outdated from 2013, but its the year I decided to change my major to Spanish. In that picture I was able to study marine biology in Mexico, and i fell in love with the culture especially within this last year. I hope to go back to Mexico this summer and retake the course but as a Teachers Aide. I am excited about this course. Portuguese has always been an intriguing language to me. I one time took Italian and the similarities to Spanish were a little confusing, I hope to do better in this course. Good Luck to Everyone.

Nicole F.

Oi! My name is Nicole Frederick. I'm originally from Greenville, OH but I am currently deployed overseas as I am Active Duty Navy. I have an AA in Spanish Language Studies and an AA in Persian-Farsi Language Studies. My passion is working with animals in need and I help run a 501(c)3 in South Carolina that rescues heartworm positive dogs from high-kill shelters. Naturally I have four dogs and two cats of my own that I adore! I'm currently pursuing a a Bachelors in Spanish and plan to eventually obtain my Masters in Foreign Relations. I enjoy hanging out with dogs, swimming, snorkeling, hiking, and reading. This picture is of me and my puppy Kiki when I was stationed in CA. Thanks for taking the time to read a little about me! I'm looking forward to taking this class with all of you!
*Sorry for the late post, I had some technical issues with the blog last week*