Marianella Jara

Marianell Jara 

 

Lecturer in Spanish
University Of North Carolina Wilmington

Education

M.A.  in Spanish and Hispanic Studies

B.A. in Political Science and International Relations

General Information

I teach courses in elementary and intermediate Spanish.  I love taking students abroad during summer school.  I am  the director of the Summer Study Abroad Program in Ubeda, Spain.  
In addition, I serve as the advisor to the Spanish Club and teach Honors Seminars on the subjects of Islamic / Arabic Spain and Costa Rican culture, history and environmental issues.  I actively  support the Hispanic -Latino community by encouraging students to help and engage in community service in different local organizations. In my free time, I teach English as a second language to Hispanic immigrants in the Wilmington community and interpret at various non- profit organizations and clinics.  My personal interest is in Latin American and Spanish literature by women as well as Costa Rican ecology and conservation and Islamic / Arabic Spain history and architecture.

Background

I am a "TICA", born and raised in Costa Rica.  Since she was young, I  developed a special interest in other cultures and languages.  I attended the Universidad Nacional in Heredia,  where I studied  International relations and English. At the age of nineteen I was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to study at . I had a wonderful time at LSU studying and meeting people from all over the world and of course cheering for  the TIGERS.  GO TIGERS !

I graduated from LSU in 1997and I returned to Costa Rica where I had different jobs until I decided that it was time to start graduate school.  That is how I ended up coming to Wilmington.  Graduate school at the beach sounded just like paradise. 

 Family

I  am married to a wonderful "Wilmingtonian", a rare find,  everyone in Wilmington is from somewhere else.
 

Jeremy is a music teacher, a wonderful person and musician who has played in different local bands, among them:
 The Jackson Hives.

We love music and going to  concerts. We also love going to the beach, spending time with friends, taking day trips and visiting with family. 

Baby Paz Angelica

Our sweet angel was born on April 2, 2011.

  

My other favorite people in the world are my dad, my brother and my mom who is in heaven.

 

Hobbies & Favorites

I love traveling, reading, jogging, biking and cooking.  I love going anywhere in the world to explore new cultures, languages, adventures and try new food.  Reading is like food to my soul.  I am a firm believer in studying abroad, I think every student should travel to grow and become a well rounded individual.  This is why I take students overseas every summer.  I love every minute I spend with the students abroad, seeing their smiles, answering their questions and realizing how much they learn in 7 weeks, fills my heart with joy.   I also love cooking and eating dishes from all over the world.  I am more like the naked chef  because I can put a nice meal together with whatever is in your fridge in 3o minutes. 


Parque del Retiro, Madrid, España


Libri Mundo -Quito, Ecuador


My favorite city -Lyon, France

 


Asheville, NC


Mitad del Mundo, Ecuador


Zip line, Monteverde, Costa Rica

                        ¡  Hasta la vista!