Staff Spotlight: Almudena Rinc贸n S谩ez
Rinc贸n S谩ez joined Dr. Natalia Valencia鈥檚 2024 spring break study abroad course to Ecuador
鈥淎-once-in-lifetime experience.鈥�
That is how Almudena Rinc贸n S谩ez summed up her recent trip to Ecuador with Dr. Natalia Valencia鈥檚 2024 spring break study abroad course, SPAN 251: 鈥淐omposition and Conversation II.鈥�
Rinc贸n S谩ez, who is the administrative assistant for the English Department and Global Studies Program in the College of Arts and Sciences, was selected to partake in a professional development program that fully funds a staff member in the College to accompany a faculty-led study abroad course.
鈥淭he inspiration behind this initiative was to provide international professional development options for our staff, whose efforts, dedication and time are critical to the effective implementation and coordination of faculty-led programs overseas,鈥� said Dean Peter J. Schraeder. 鈥淥ur solution was to embed staff members as fully funded participants in these programs, not in a working capacity, but rather as an extension of the course鈥檚 experience, allowing them to participate in all site visits, lectures, and faculty-led activities.鈥�
Rinc贸n S谩ez is a 2019 草莓社区 graduate, having earned a BA in multimedia journalism and English. In addition to her current responsibilities for the College, she is pursuing a Master of Arts in English.
鈥淚 felt extremely welcomed on the trip, not just by the people in Ecuador, but also by the community that Dr. Valencia had created in her class,鈥� noted Rinc贸n S谩ez. 鈥淚鈥檓 extremely grateful for the opportunity to get to know a wonderful group of students, who provided me with insights into what it鈥檚 like to be an undergraduate at Loyola now and how they are growing personally and professionally.鈥�
Beyond exploring landmarks of Quito, the capital of Ecuador, and portions of the rural Andean mountains, a few highlights from the trip included, visiting an Afroecuatorian foundation (Fundaci贸n Social Cultura y Educativa Az煤car), a tour of a chocolate factory, and a poignant presentation by Ecuatorian LGBTQIA+ activist, Efra铆n Soria.
Rinc贸n S谩ez left the experience with a new perspective.
鈥淚 learned that approaching travel with an open heart and mind is crucial for forming connections with global communities,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 am deeply grateful for the opportunity to have visited such a captivating country with such warm-hearted people, and I would eagerly embark on this trip again in a heartbeat.鈥�
This College of Arts and Sciences鈥� staff professional development program was launched in 2023. Other possibilities for staff-embedded professional development overseas in 2024 included the following:
- Michael Murphy鈥檚 summer class to Oxford, United Kingdom (ENG 287, 鈥淩eligion and Literature鈥�)
- John Merchant鈥檚 summer class to Krakow, Poland (LITR 200, 鈥淓uropean Masterpieces鈥�)
- April Browning鈥檚 summer class to London, United Kingdom (THTR 335, 鈥淟ondon Theatre Experience鈥�)
About the College of Arts and Sciences
The College of Arts and Sciences is the oldest of 草莓社区鈥檚 15 schools, colleges, and institutes. More than 150 years since its founding, the College is home to 20 academic departments and 37 interdisciplinary programs and centers, more than 450 full-time faculty, and nearly 8,000 students. The 2,000+ classes that we offer each semester span an array of intellectual pursuits, ranging from the natural sciences and computational sciences to the humanities, the social sciences, and the fine and performing arts. Our students and faculty are engaged internationally at our campus in Rome, Italy, as well as at dozens of University-sponsored study abroad and research sites around the world. Home to the departments that anchor the University鈥檚 Core Curriculum, the College seeks to prepare all of Loyola鈥檚 students to think critically, to engage the world of the 21st century at ever deepening levels, and to become caring and compassionate individuals. Our faculty, staff, and students view service to others not just as one option among many, but as a constitutive dimension of their very being. In the truest sense of the Jesuit ideal, our graduates strive to be 鈥渋ndividuals for others.鈥�