Alumni Spotlight

September 1, 2017

To kick off the new school year, we begin by saying welcome back.  This week we introduce the Alumni Spotlight of the week Daniel Abeyta. Abeyta graduated UNM with a BA in Spanish Literature and recieved his MA in Spanish Linguistics in May 2011.

What are you doing now/where are you?

“I currently teach Middle School Spanish at Bosque School in both the Spanish as a Second Language program and Spanish as a Heritage Language program.”

Professional highlights post-graduation

“After graduating from UNM with a BA in Spanish Literature and an MA in Spanish Linguistics, I taught a year of High School Spanish at Hope Christian School. Then I earned an MA in Education from the University of North Carolina at Greenbsboro in Teaching English as a Second Language. I worked with immigrants and refugees at both the high school and elementary level for 4 years in Winston Salem, NC. One highlight was learning to speak basic Karenni from my Karenni students from Burma. I also had the honor of teaching English to my elementary students' parents two days a week after school.”

Research Interests/are you using your Spanish/Port degree

“Currently, I am interested in connecting my Middle School Spanish students with Spanish immersion experiences in Albuquerque and abroad. Based off of my experience teaching ESL in North Carolina, my interest in literacy (home language and English) has grown. Currently, I am trying to raise my 10 month baby boy bilingual. So, naturally, bilingualism/multilingualism is another research interest of mine. I am thankful to God for giving me opportunities to use my Spanish degree in both volunteer and professional settings to this day.”