Marianella 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

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. 

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. 

My favorite city -Lyon, France

                        ¡  Hasta la vista!