Future on the Horizon

My name is Kayla Arriazola and I am currently thirty years old. I am from a small town called Rio Grande City, Texas. This town is near the South Texas and Mexico border. My hometown celebrates Texas traditions and Mexico’s traditions together. It is a town where code switching is always welcomed between English and Spanish. 

Following my high school graduation in 2011, I decided to attend Texas A&M-Corpus Christi University. In 2015, I made the decision to return home and earned an Associate’s Degree. I had started off with my different career choices such as nursing, radiologist, and respiratory therapy. I realized reading and writing have been a passion of mine. Ultimately earning an Associate’s degree in Liberal Art from South Texas College. In 2018, I made my way back to Texas A&M-Corpus Christi University, where I met others who shared the same passion of writing and reading in different forums. In 2020, I graduated virtually with a Bachelor’s Degree in Liberal Arts and a Teaching English as Second Language certification.

In 2019, I was able to study abroad in Edinburgh, Scotland for five weeks. During this time, I was introduced to the world of teaching and helping others such as my professor. A new program was introduced to the English Department called Teaching English as a Second Language. I did consider becoming an educator in the non-traditional way and helping others to make a difference. Teaching abroad will allow me to influence future generations from my small town to dream big away from normative standards. My goal is to help others gain new knowledge in learning English. I have a passion for helping others, and helping others towards their goals no matter how big or small. Education is important and everyone should be able to learn new languages. Knowledge is power with any plan in mind. I’m so excited to be in a new country and getting the opportunity to explore my new reality. I’m so excited to gain new experiences and meet new people on the same journey. I must say, I am nervous to experience adulting for the first time, such as finding my own apartment, or a roommate. I can’t wait to experience the cultural differences outside of Texas.

-Kayla