33.3324, Staff Letter: Lucero Guillen

[The LINGUIST List]

LINGUIST List: Vol-33-3324. Sat Oct 29 2022. ISSN: 1069 - 4875.

Subject: 33.3324, Staff Letter: Lucero Guillen

Moderators:

Editor for this issue: Everett Green <everett at linguistlist.org>
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Date: Sat, 29 Oct 2022 23:03:26
From: LINGUIST List [linguist at linguistlist.org]
Subject: Staff Letter: Lucero Guillen

 
Dear Linguist List friends, 
 
My name is María Lucero Guillén Puón, I am an editor for the Linguist List, I
review, edit and post book issues on our website. 
 
I started my graduate studies this August at Indiana University. I am 26 years
old and I am originally from Mexico City where I did my undergraduate studies
in Administration at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). 

When I was a student I got selected twice to participate in exchange programs,
the first one in California State University Northridge, and the second one in
EAFIT University in Medellín, Colombia, and this experience made me appreciate
the interculturalities and differences between countries. When I returned to
Mexico after those exchanges I was certain that I wanted to pursue a master
degree abroad, so I started getting prepared to apply and created a portfolio
attractive to US higher education institutions, I even won a scholarship from
FUNED, a Mexican NGO that provides educational support to pursue a master's
degrees abroad, they paid for various courses and standardized tests necessary
to apply to a graduate program in the US and they also provided mentorship and
assistance during the application process.

When I finished my undergraduate studies, I started working for the Indiana
University Mexico Gateway, first as program assistant and then as program
coordinator. In these roles I organized many academic events that allowed
faculty, students and staff to create meaningful connections with Mexican and
Latino american institutions. During this time I coordinated various seminars
and workshops related to indigenous languages like Quechua, Nahuatl, Zapotec
and Guaraní, and collaborated with organizations like Mozilla Foundation, the
Mexican National Museum of Popular Cultures and the Mexican Ministry of
Culture, among others. By working with these organizations, I strengthen,
developed and transmitted values and culture of small Mexican towns with rich
ethnicity diversity and traditions. 

I am particularly proud of these accomplishments, because even though I was
born in Mexico City, my family is from a small town in Chiapas, a state in the
southern part of Mexico near the border of Guatemala. I also lived there when
I was a child for a couple of years, and this background allowed me to
understand and develop a more empathic perspective towards indigenous
communities. 

Working for the Linguist List allows me to focus on my studies without having
the burden on my shoulders for worrying about financial loans. Without this
job opportunity I would not be able to continue studying because graduate
education in the US is very expensive. If The Linguist List hadn’t employed me
I would not have been able to come to the US and accept the offer to study in
Indiana University. 
           
Getting here wasn’t easy, when I received my letter of acceptance from IU, I
realized that my dream was about to become true. The school offered me a
scholarship, and I tried to look for funds in Mexico to help me pay for the
rest of the tuition, but unfortunately, I wasn’t able to match the rest of the
funds, so I decided to request a deferral for next year. I signed the
employment contract with the Linguist List just three weeks before classes
began, and I was amazed that the graduate assistantship was going to help me
accomplish my dream to start my master’s degree this year.
 
You have no idea how much your donations have impacted my life. They have
allowed me to be able to pursue my dream to study my graduate studies and be
able to afford my living expenses. In addition, because I am also adapting to
the new life alone here in the US, your donation not only provides me
financial support, it also has a great impact on my mental health. I am truly
grateful for the Linguist List, and I do my job there happily every day,
because they offered me a hand when I needed it.
 
Please continue supporting the Linguist List staff, you are making a grand
impact in our lives. Thank you so much for reading.

Lucero
Maria Lucero Guillen Puon


If you are interested in making a donation, you can do so by visiting our
donation page here: https://funddrive.linguistlist.org/donate/






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LINGUIST List: Vol-33-3324	
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