{"id":232,"date":"2017-10-19T18:01:12","date_gmt":"2017-10-19T18:01:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/spanish-and-latino-studies\/?p=232"},"modified":"2019-04-18T13:28:30","modified_gmt":"2019-04-18T17:28:30","slug":"michele-porta-cisneros","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/spanish-and-latino-studies\/2017\/10\/19\/michele-porta-cisneros\/","title":{"rendered":"Meet Michele Porta Cisneros"},"content":{"rendered":"
English version<\/em><\/strong>\n

For many years, decades, I kept returning to college hoping that someday I would finally finish my undergraduate degree. Life moved on and obstacles got in the way, but I kept persevering. When the time came to enroll my son in college, I decided it was also time for me to return and finally finish my degree. To be honest, I chose Montclair State University for the convenience: a 10-minute drive from home and available evening classes. My initial goal was to obtain a Spanish degree and move on with my life, but the Department of Spanish and Latino Studies at Montclair State University opened a realm of possibilities I had not even considered. Most importantly the department offered the flexibility I needed to obtain my degree in the time I had proposed for myself, which meant becoming a full-time student. Among the options I had were independent study courses and permission to take graduate courses as an undergraduate student. In essence, the program I completed was tailored to my needs and goals.<\/p>\n

Nowadays most institutions are impersonal when dealing with people. Montclair State University and the Department of Spanish and Latino Studies are not like that. Every faculty and staff member I met knew my name and helped me resolve any issue I encountered. Furthermore, they encouraged me to participate in events such as the Student Research Symposium and become a member of the editorial committee of Escrivivientes<\/em>, a literary <\/a>magazine published by the graduate students of the department. I was also fortunate to be inducted in Sigma Delta Pi, the National Honor Society, and serve on its board. These are things I would have never dreamt of achieving at this stage of my life and I did so thanks to the encouragement of my professors. In fact, I am now enrolled in the BA\/MA Spanish program and look forward to continuing my education at Montclair State. I am immensely grateful to the Department of Spanish and Latino Studies at Montclair State University for extending the welcome it gave me, for the personal attention I received, and for providing so many opportunities I had not thought possible.<\/p><\/div>\n

Version en espa\u00f1ol<\/em><\/strong>\n

Durante muchos a\u00f1os, d\u00e9cadas, intent\u00e9 terminar mis estudios universitarios. La vida sigui\u00f3 su curso y hubo impedimentos, pero nunca perd\u00ed la esperanza de lograr mi meta. Lleg\u00f3 el momento de matricular a mi hijo en la universidad y decid\u00ed que este tambi\u00e9n era mi momento de reanudar los estudios y esta vez terminar. Honestamente, escog\u00ed a Montclair State University porque era conveniente: 10 minutos de casa y la disponibilidad de clases nocturnas. La meta inicial era recibir una licenciatura en espa\u00f1ol y seguir mi camino, pero el Departamento de Espa\u00f1ol y Estudios Latinos de Montclair State University abri\u00f3 las puertas a un sinf\u00edn de posibilidades que no hab\u00eda imaginado. De ellas, la m\u00e1s importante fue que me permiti\u00f3 la flexibilidad que necesitaba para lograr mi prop\u00f3sito en el tiempo que me hab\u00eda planteado, lo que quer\u00eda decir que tendr\u00eda que cursar a tiempo completo. Esa cortes\u00eda incluy\u00f3 estudiar cursos posgraduados siendo una estudiante subgraduada. En fin, el programa que complet\u00e9 fue hecho a mi medida.<\/p>\n

Las instituciones hoy en d\u00eda son muy impersonales. El Departamento de Espa\u00f1ol y Estudios Latinos y Montclair State no son as\u00ed. Todos los profesores y dem\u00e1s profesionales sab\u00edan qui\u00e9n era y me ayudaron a resolver cualquier problema que tuviera. Es m\u00e1s, me animaron a participar en eventos como el Simposio Investigativo de Estudiantes y formar parte del comit\u00e9 editorial del Escrivivientes<\/em>, una revista literaria publicada por los estudiantes de posgrado del departamento. Tambi\u00e9n tuve el honor de ser miembro de Sigma Delta Pi, la sociedad honoraria nacional de espa\u00f1ol y ser parte del comit\u00e9 ejecutivo. Son logros que jam\u00e1s me hubiese planteado a estas alturas de mi vida y se realizaron gracias al apoyo de mis profesores. Ahora estoy matriculada en el programa de BA\/MA en espa\u00f1ol y estoy muy animada a continuar mis estudios en Montclair State. Estoy profundamente agradecida al Departamento de Espa\u00f1ol y Estudios Latinos de Montclair State University por haberme recibido con los brazos abiertos, por darme la atenci\u00f3n personal que recib\u00ed, y por ofrecerme tantas oportunidades como jam\u00e1s habr\u00eda so\u00f1ado.
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