Full name: Maria Jesus Barros Garcia
Department: English and Foreign Languages
Title: Lecturer in Spanish
Professor Barros began working for Saint Xavier University during the 2013-2014 academic school year. Granada, Spain is where she had lived until almost two years ago when she moved to the U.S. However, that isn’t the first time she had traveled.
While pursuing her undergraduate degree at the University of Granada she studied abroad in London, England. Then, she studied abroad in Pennsylvania at Bucknell University, while earning her Ph.D. at the University of Granada. There she was an international teacher assistant and did research. After receiving her doctorate in May 2011 from the University of Granada, Miss Barros was interested in a post-doctorate fellowship. That made her Illinois-bound.
She did her fellowship at the University of Illinois because she admired a researcher there. Barros area of expertise is politeness, as an attitude in speech. Politeness is “what devices you use to be polite, whenever you speak,” said Barros.
Her fellowship was not the only reason that she came to Illinois. Barros’ boyfriend of five years is attending medical school in Chicago. Him along with her post-graduate ambitions made Chicago a great choice for her new home.
This November will mark the Barros’ second year in the U.S. When asked about her new home, Chicago, she said, “I love Chicago, I think it’s a great city, it offers anything you can be looking for, but the only thing I don’t like is the weather.” The weather is strikingly different; the temperature in Chicago is nearly thirty degrees lower than in Granada during this time of year.
The weather takes some time to adapt to, but the lifestyle does too. Barros admitted to missing her lifestyle in Spain. For example, she said, “I like it here but of course I miss things that I had there, for example having ‘tapas’ with my friends nearly everyday at 9.”
Tapas, in Granada are similar to appetizers here, in the U.S. In Granada, a tapa is served to you whenever you order a drink.
Barros has found many hobbies in Chicago though. She loves taking walks near here downtown home.
The restaurant scene in Chicago is one that Barros could not miss; she loves checking out new restaurants whenever she isn’t busy preparing for class or grading papers. And, of course, she has had a chance to enjoy a Chicago-style hotdog. Her favorite place to eat a hotdog is SuperDawg in Norwood Park. Besides taking walks and eating at restaurants, she said, “I really want to take Flamengo lessons if I can find some spare time.”
Miss Barros said she chose Saint Xavier because she had the opportunity of teaching what she loves to study, Spanish, and especially because of the atmosphere at SXU. Miss Barros commented, “I like the sense of community here, everybody here has been super welcoming, helpful and kind to me.”
David Rodriguez
News Editor
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