Year: Senior
Major/Minor: Spanish/Teaching Certificate
Quirky Fact: I am a triplet
Favorite Food or Drink to Get on Campus: Sushi at Market 22
Favorite Book/Movie/Podcast/TV Series: One Day at a Time
Favorite Campus Event: All Campus Sing
Q&A
Why did you choose Murray State?
I’m an international student, so I’m actually from Venezuela. I came to the United States in high school through an exchange program, and I was placed in Kentucky in Marshall County High School, thirty minutes away from Murray. After the exchange year was over, my host parents offered to let me stay here and go to college, which I really wanted to do. I went to West Kentucky Community Technical College in Paducah and got my associate’s degree before transferring to Murray State. I chose Murray State because they have a great education program, and I just fell in love with the little town. Actually, I am a triplet, and both of my siblings chose Murray State as well, so we’re all here together.
Why did you choose your major?
I chose my major because I love Spanish and that’s my native language, but I think what really influenced me to take the teacher route was being an international student in high school. I was able to observe diversity and kids that were struggling whether it was in their houses or in the school. So I wanted to be a role model to students if they needed someone to ask for help. I wanted to be that special person who was going to inspire them and bring them up. I feel also think minorities need role models, and I’d like to be one for them as well. A lot of kids in this area don’t have the opportunity to travel outside the United States, so I feel like if they have an international teacher, it will broaden their horizons and their curiosity and their acceptance of other people. And maybe by having me in their classroom, they will feel like they have traveled outside the United States.
Who have been your mentors?
I think that my most influential mentor has to be my advisor, Tanya Romero-Gonzalez. I absolutely love her. She’s super sweet and always there to help me, and she always goes above and beyond. I’m so glad that I was her advisee — it might have been destiny. I’m so glad we have gotten so close because she has helped me such. I think the reason I love Murray State so much is because I always have had great professors.
Tell us about your accomplishments relating to your major.
Within my major, one of my biggest accomplishments has been that I’m always on the Dean’s List every semester. Also, over the summer, I was able to teach Spanish to a group of students from Missouri, Kentucky, and Tennessee through a program called Upward Bound. They have a camp for students where they get to experience the college atmosphere. I was super proud of that because it was the first time I’d ever taught a class, so it was a really good experience for me and helped me grow as a teacher. I know that the students really liked having me there, and I had a really good bond with them.
I’m also involved in several activities and organizations outside my major. I’m the event coordinator with the International Student Organization, so I try to put together really fun events for students. Sometimes we do movie nights, bowling nights, free food, stuff like that. We try to make new students feel comfortable, and I’m really proud of that. This semester, I’m also a Student Ambassador.
What are your plans after graduation?
My dream is to be a Spanish teacher in Kentucky or wherever I get placed. I just want to be a teacher for a school or be an international student advisor at a university because those are two things I’m really passionate about. I love helping people either by being a teacher or an advisor. That’s my American Dream. I really love the schools here and I’d love to stay in the area.
What advice would you give a new student at Murray State?
If you don’t come from this area, don’t be afraid to put yourself out there. Go to things you never thought you’d ever participate in, like All Campus Sing. Do stuff that is really new to you so you can meet new people and make new friends. It’s really worth it if you put yourself out there for new experiences. Don’t be shy. Just enjoy your time at Murray State. Everyone here is super nice, so you won’t have any trouble making friends.
“I met Valentina in the Summer of 2018 when she came to Murray State University as a transfer student to complete her Spanish major with a Teaching Certification. I have been lucky to have her in my class as well as serve as her academic advisor. As an international student, she has had to navigate and overcome several obstacles and she has done so with determination and success. She is an enthusiastic and devoted student that not only cares about the quality of her work in her classes but also the well-being of everyone around her. I have had many opportunities to witness Valentina’s effort to be inclusive both inside and outside of class, as she is always going above and beyond what is required of her. Her creativity and passion for sharing her knowledge are shown in every opportunity she has to share her culture and language with other students. For example, in the last Global Languages Showcase that attracted 200 middle and high schoolers to our campus, she organized, with the help of Dr. Picech, an interactive workshop where students could craft their own bracelets and learn about other cultures. Once she graduates, she will be an amazing teacher. In many ways, I believe she already is.”
-Dr. Romero-Gonzalez
College of humanities and fine arts 