Latin American & Caribbean Studies

Kaitlyn Bell spent the summer of her senior year interning in Ciudad Quesada, Costa Rica. During her experience, Kaitlyn worked at La Escuela Los Angeles, teaching English to Spanish-speaking students in the first through sixth grades. Her project focused on analyzing the education system in Costa Rica and comparing it with that of the United States. Bell also worked at Mariano Juvenile, an orphanage for teenage girls, teaching English for several weeks during her internship.  

"I am so fortunate to have had this experience interning abroad," said Bell. "I conquered several fears, developed my language ability and discovered what I want to do for the rest of my life. This was an experience that no classroom education could have shown me."

Dr. Flores-Silva's one-act play, "La Mision," winner of a Florida theatrical competition, was performed this winter at the Miami Micro Theatre. While reading a Mexican newspaper about the disappearance of young girls, likely related to sex-trafficking crimes, something struck a chord with Flores-Silva and, within a matter of hours, she wrote "La Mision."

"La Mision" is a monologue about the disappearance of a male, though it was inspired by the issue of young girls disappearing. Flores-Silva said she created "La Mision" to be poetic, but also political, in order to bring awareness to the issues occurring in Mexico. The monologue is bilingual (English and Spanish), and it is performed in a way that the audience can understand what happens on stage without knowing both languages. Flores-Silva said she believes that theater and literature help students learn about specific countries and cultures. "My passion for theater has found a purpose here at Roanoke College through teaching with the idea of bilingual importance," she said.