Come see what's in your future with Spanish and Portuguese!
Join your department of Spanish and Portuguese family to find out what a Spanish major can do for you! Learn about the exciting career options and opportunities, hear from award winning faculty in our programs who care about your wellbeing and academic success, and find out about the inspirational, impressive, and essential careers our alumni have gone on to do.
Speakers
Valeria Quijada
Valeria Quijada is the Assistant Director in the Office of Nationally Competitive Scholarships. She aims to advise students across campus on the multiple scholarship offerings available to them.
She is originally from Mexico but was raised most of her life in Tucson. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Global Studies and Spanish Literature from the University of Arizona, and during her time as a student she was part of several student clubs, participated in 3 different internships at local organizations, worked on campus part-time, and studied abroad in Brazil for 6 weeks learning the language and culture. Valeria is a Gilman Scholar, and because of it understands the hurdles and benefits that come with competitive scholarships. As an alum of the University of Arizona and as part of the staff, she has in-depth insight on the many offerings and opportunities the university has and it is a great pleasure for her to be able to guide students.
In her free time Valeria enjoys spending time with family and friends, playing with her 2 dogs, traveling, reading, and trying different types of delicious foods.
Jake Suitts
Jake is a study abroad coordinator whose portfolio includes Latin America and Spain (Alcalá de Henares and Madrid). He supports students on a variety of Arizona Abroad, faculty-led, and exchange programs throughout the region. As a study abroad coordinator, he works closely with students to help through every step of the study abroad process – from applications to visas and preparation for traveling abroad. Talk to Jake if you would like to know more about any of our programs in Latin America or those in Spain mentioned above!
Before joining study abroad, Jake worked as adjunct instructor in the Department of Spanish & Portuguese here at the U of A, helping students hone their language skills in the classroom. He holds a B.A. in Spanish & Linguistics from Idaho State University and an M.A. in Latin American Studies from the University of Arizona. Jake has worked and studied abroad in Spain, in addition to serving as a Fulbright scholar in Brazil in 2022. In his free time, he enjoys cooking, playing racquetball, and searching for the next great spot to eat out in Tucson.
Fernando Adrián Sánchez Roldán
Fernando Adrián Sánchez Roldán has over a decade of experience in public service at the federal, state, and municipal levels, where he has held coordination and management roles aimed at strengthening government–citizen engagement and providing timely responses to public needs and concerns.
His career has been shaped primarily by two areas: citizen service and environmental management. In the environmental field, he has participated in ecosystem restoration and protection projects, contributing a technical perspective focused on sustainability and the incorporation of environmental criteria into public management.
In the social sphere, he stands out for his role as Director of Citizen Attention and Public Audiences in the Government of Mexico City, where he worked directly with the President of Mexico, Dr. Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo. From this position, he promoted the modernization of citizen service mechanisms, fostering approaches that were closer, more humane, and more efficient in addressing the demands of the population.
He was recently appointed Consul of Mexico in Tucson, Arizona, with the mandate of the President of Mexico to remain close to the Mexican community, defend its interests, and contribute to strengthening bilateral collaboration and cooperation.
He holds a degree in Biology from the Faculty of Sciences at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) and has more than eight years of teaching experience in public and private institutions, where he has taught courses such as Physiology, Botany, and General Biology.