Hi I'm Sarah, but many just call me Sari or Sarita (the Spanish versions of my name). I am currently living in Washington DC and I am in my last semester of graduate school at American University in the Masters program of Latin American Studies and Spanish Translation. I received my Graduate Certificate in Spanish Translation from AU last year. I spent my undergraduate career at Virginia Tech, where I earned my B.A in Spanish and International Studies with a Business concentration. I was also an officer and active member of Sigma Delta Pi, the National Collegiate Hispanic Honor Society and a 2005 graduate of I.S.L.I., (Intensive Second Language graduate Institute) in Spanish Language at Virginia Tech. Although I had a wonderful experience at both Virginia Tech and American, some of my fondest memories were spent outside the campus. In the summer of 2004, I studied abroad in Spain through Virginia Tech at the Estudio Internacional Sampere, a language school which had locations both in Madrid and El Puerto de Santa Maria. The program lasted 6 weeks, and every weekend we had an excursion to a different region of Spain. By the time the program ended, I had traveled all over Spain, while improving my speaking abilities and learning about the culture first hand. I had such an amazing experience that I decided to stay an extra week to do some independent travel.In the Spring of 2007, I decided to study abroad once again, this time in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Since there were not many opportunities for Grad students to study abroad, I decided to go abroad independently, without a program, and write a research paper to earn credit while I was there. I spent almost five months traveling through Argentina and other parts of the Southern Cone, where I further improved my Spanish skills and enhanced my appreciation for Argentine culture even more. It was truly an invaluable experience. I am currently volunteering with 'Hermanos y Hermanas Mayores' (the Latino division of Big Brothers and Big Sisters. I am also interning at the the OAS (Organization of American States) in the area of Human Trafficking. . I have also volunteered as a guest speaker and classroom helper at New Directions High School in Manassas. In my free time I tutor Spanish. It is my goal to share my love and knowledge of the Spanish language and culture with my students while at the same time helping improve their skills and abilities.