Spanish Concentration

An innovative, interdisciplinary program that can be completed fully online

Frida Valero

Frida Valero, 2023

Advocating for first-generation immigrants' equal opportunities and stronger global institutions

Frida earned a Dual MA in Spanish and Global Affairs, as well as the Graduate Certificate in Spanish Heritage Language Education. Multilingual in Spanish, Korean and English, Frida's interests include Spanish and Korean linguistics and comparative Spanish- and Korean-language cultural studies. She also aims to increase students' interest in Spanish courses on George Mason's Songdo Campus!

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Russell Galloway

Russell Galloway, 2022

Former High school teacher, now pursuing PhD

Russell taught K-12 level Spanish while a part-time MA student at GMU. He is now pursuing a PhD in Spanish at the University of Alabama. Russell sees Spanish education as a comprehensive way to learn empathy, humility, and confidence.

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Sarah Jackson

Sarah Jackson, 2022

Graduate of the Accelerated MA program wins Fulbright to teach in Mexico

Sarah loves that her degree allowed her to pursue an interdisciplinary focus on the subjects that interest her most, and she credits the program with promoting her personal and professional growth. She plans to use her skills while teaching in Mexico through the Fulbright program.

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Elsie M. Hendricks

Elsie M. Hendricks, 2021

Polyglot begins community-based work in Pittsburgh

Elsie, a self-proclaimed polyglot, earned undergraduate degrees in languages and music and a dual Master’s degree in French and Spanish from George Mason. After taking courses in linguistics, pedagogy, comparative literature, and film at Mason, Elsie deepened her interest in exploring aspects of language ideologies and equity in multilingual and multicultural literature and education. She now works for the Latino Community Center in Pittsburgh, PA and enjoys exploring natural history museums, reading murder mysteries and fantasy novels, and drinking an enormous amount of tea in her free time.

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Luz Adriana Mueller

Luz Adriana Mueller, 2021

2021 Dean's Challenge Scholarship Awardee

Researching the relevance of children's literature and media in education and the effects of cultural and social movements in the early stages of human development.

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Emily Kathryn Scheinberg

Emily Kathryn Scheinberg, 2021

Investigating the linguistic representation of gender in Spanish

Emily Scheinberg began the MA in Foreign Languages (Spanish) with interdisciplinary academic interests. She credits the program with expanding her horizons even further while also deepening her interest in linguistics.

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Calyn Painter

Calyn Painter, 2020

Local high school Spanish teacher creates inclusive learning spaces for all students

Calyn has a passion for language and culture that she enjoys sharing with her students. She loves the energy of the classroom and to hear the contribution of all student voices.

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Gloria Giraldo

Gloria Giraldo, 2019

A passion for both learning and teaching

Gloria Giraldo has taught English and Spanish to adults and children in a wide range of contexts. She is intellectually curious and interested in learning new things, a passion she shares with her students.

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Wade Swede

Wade Swede, 2019

From Mason MA program to full funding in a top PhD program in Hispanic Linguistics

In addition to program coursework in the Department of Modern and Classical Languages, the Linguistics Program and the College of Education and Human Development, Wade also took advantage of the Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area to enroll in courses at Georgetown University at no extra cost. He also taught Spanish as a GTA, gaining valuable experience that surely helped him to win a graduate teaching assistantship from the University of Arizona to pursue a PhD in Hispanic Linguistics.

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Melissa Duluc

Melissa Duluc, 2018

Fairfax County Public Schools Outstanding Secondary New Teacher of 2021

Melissa Duluc’s teaching emphasizes diversity, inclusion and social justice, an approach she studied at Mason while also deepening her expertise in linguistics, literature and cultural studies.

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Rahma Maccarone

Rahma Maccarone, 2017

Somali-Italian educator and researcher, now a Ph.D. candidate with a prestigious fellowship at Georgetown University

Rahma Maccarone earned a BA and an MA (Spanish and Bilingual/Multicultural Education) at George Mason University, where she discovered a passion for teaching. She is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Cultural Studies in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese at Georgetown University, where she was awarded a prestigious Patrick Healy Graduate Fellowship.

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Andrew Milacci

Andrew Milacci, 2010

From Master's student to university professor

Andrew Milacci savors the opportunity to teach in a field about which he is passionate, and brings the example of his own professors to inform his work with his students at Liberty University.

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