Born and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Audrey Marissa García is a current MA student in Spanish with a concentration in Hispanic Southwest Studies and a Teaching Assistant in the Spanish as a Heritage Language (SHL) program. She teaches two sections of Spanish 1210 for heritage learners. Audrey earned her BA in Spanish with a minor in Portuguese from the University of New Mexico in December 2022. She is a proud first-generation student on her father’s side and the first in her family to attend high school and college in the U.S.

Her academic interests include language patterns across the U.S. Southwest, as well as local leyendas, folklore, and cultural traditions that shape regional identities. As someone with deep familial roots in Chihuahua, Mexico, Audrey’s work is informed by her own heritage and her passion for storytelling, language, and community.

In addition to her work in the classroom, Audrey serves as a Project Assistant with El Centro de la Raza and The Rural Student Project, helping rural students build community connections and interpersonal skills through volunteering, especially in partnership with La Familia Growers Market in the South Valley. Outside of university life, she enjoys coloring books, practicing yoga, and spending time with her cat.