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Tell us about your research project and why it is important to you?
While I am yet to develop my doctoral dissertation, my current research project focuses on art education and language. This fall, 2024, I am conducting a pilot study in which I seek to explore, through art instructors, what the role of culture and language is in the artistic process of emergent bilingual girls and boys. It is important to me because I have spent more than a decade teaching arts and English in a variety of public and private educational institutions. The experiences I have had have allowed me to understand that the process of artistic creation involves a constant intersection and dialogue between sociocultural, identity, and contextual elements.
Have you presented or published your research anywhere? Tell us about the experience.
During my master's studies I published a paper resulting from my participation in an international conference. I am currently in the process of generating my research portfolio and hope to publish next year.
What would you say is something interesting about your area of study that most people don't know?
I would say that artistic language and the process of artistic creation are crucial to understanding how people approach the world around us and make sense of our life experiences.
Tell us about your academic or professional collaborations with Mexico.
During my master's studies I had the opportunity to do an academic stay at the Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana (Xochimilco unit) in CDMX. I was also able to participate in an international colloquium at the University of Guanajuato. Professionally, I have had the opportunity to teach in various grade levels in the educational sector (K-12).
What attracted you to Texas and The University of Texas at El Paso?
I was attracted to UTEP as a major Hispanic Serving Institution that welcomes students from the border and international community, which results in a unique and diverse environment. In addition, they offer graduate programs that can potentially enrich the training of critical researchers locally and internationally.
What have been some good things you didn't expect from Texas or UTEP?
Having the opportunity to experience and learn how the U.S. educational system works and find similarities with previous educational and professional experiences in Mexico. In addition, it has been very inspiring to meet and learn from the identity, linguistic, and cultural diversity of my classmates and teachers from the border and international community. Finally, I am learning tools that allow me to strengthen my critical thinking to understand my individual and social experiences, my positionality, as well as those of my community.
What have been the biggest challenges of studying at UTEP and living in the United States?
Although I was familiar with the context, culture shock is sometimes a challenge. Regarding studying at UTEP, the educational system has different characteristics from Mexico such as, the length of the graduate program, the degree of commitment required, the courses to be taken and the goals to be achieved before reaching the PhD thesis. I have had to learn to manage my time, my learning skills, and adapt to the teaching style of each professor.
Living in the United States is also different. Life in this country flows very fast, which means always being busy and focused on personal and professional goals; it is challenging to get used to having little time for yourself. However, it is fortunate that UTEP is located on the border with Ciudad Juárez, my hometown, because I can go home when I need to.
How has the support of ConTex and Conahcyt impacted you?
Thanks to the support for tuition and monthly living expenses, the ConTex/Conahcyt scholarship has made things easier for me and has ensured that I can focus on my studies full time. This has allowed me to achieve the different objectives of my doctoral program in time.
What kind of work do you hope to do in the future, and how do you hope your research will benefit people in the U.S. and Mexico?
In the future, I aspire to continue my path as a professor and researcher. I believe that my research can provide valuable knowledge of interest to researchers and teachers in the field of art, language, and art education.
What advice would you give to other Mexican students considering studying in Texas?
I would tell them that, although studying abroad is a challenge, it is very worthwhile. I would recommend that they start their process well in advance, as it can usually take anywhere from several months to a year. An important first step is to find graduate programs that align with your research interests, analyze the curricula and gather the documents required to apply (letters of recommendation, exams, translation of university degrees). It is important to clarify all doubts with the graduate program you wish to apply to and identify faculty members who have similar research interests to yours. You must be patient and confident in your abilities.
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