Gabriella Reyes is a 2020-2021 FLAS fellow studying Portuguese.

"The catalyst to my study of Portuguese started with a mission’s trip to Florianópolis, Brazil in 2018. When I first heard the language and met the people, my love for the Portuguese language grew profoundly. I was fascinated by the way Portuguese sounded as well as how it was written. I am continuing my study of Portuguese because I value communication with all types of people, that I never want language to be a barrier for me. I am able to understand people better when I know about their language and culture, so instead of having people learn English to communicate with me, I much rather enrich myself by stepping into their language and culture which is always an entirely new and exciting experience for me! 

I desire to pursue higher education and obtain a PhD in Spanish and Portuguese. After my studies, I aspire to enter the field of interpretation in a cross-cultural setting. I want to work closely with Spanish and Portuguese speaking communities and help them with whatever current needs they have. I eventually would love to become a Professor in a foreign country, educating students on the Spanish/Portuguese language and culture!"