Show Spanish instructor brings a world of r experience to college Ed Lite Lile Staff Writer E llamo llama Ruth Alcantara t ra ME M Soy una pro de espa espanol ol en la is Universidad de la Comunidad de Salt Lake Alcant Alcantara ra did not speak Spanish until her junior year at Southern Illinois University University University sity SIU when she became acquainted with sever several 1 Latin American students and nd found that it was frustrating to want to communicate it it was then she decided to study Spanish in her senior year To her surprise surprise surprise sur sur- sur- sur prise she was quick to learn although she received her Bachelor of S Science ence degree in physical education After teaching for one year she decided to return to SIU to take and level classes in Spanish then Spanish then she entered graduate school majoring majoring majoring ma ma- joring in Spanish During the time I worked on my masters master's degree at SIU I was fortunate to have classes under D. D Lincoln Canfield awell a awell awell well known linguist Alcantara ra stated Dr Canfield Canfield Canfield Can- Can field encouraged me to apply for a Fulbright Scholarship which I received to Lima Peru to study at the Universidad Universidad Universidad Uni Uni- del Sagrado Corazon she saidI saidI saidI said I feel that tha t everyone should learn a foreign lan lan- guage It helps to better understand understand understand un un- un- un not only the langUage language language lan lan- guage but the culture of other countries It was there she met her to husband-to-be Carlos Alcant Alcantara ra Upon returning from Peru she taught Spanish in the Anacostia Anacostia Anacostia An- An High School in Washington Washington Washington Wash Wash- ington DC D.C. for four years at which time her husband joined the US U.S. Air Force They were assigned to Mor Moron n nAir Air Force Base near Seville Spain During their tour of three years they travelled throughout Spain and Eu Eu- rope Their daughter Gina was born a year after their tour in Spain Their next transfer was to Panama City Fla I stayed home to raise our daughter until she was three and in preschool for half of the day Alcantara ra said Finding a teaching position position tion on in Panama City was impossible impossible impossible im- im im im- possible so Alcantara decided to attend the Gulf Coast Community College to o study Respiratory Therapy after which she worked in the Bay Medical Center for two years She found an op opening for a teaching position at the Mosley Mosley Mosley Mos- Mos ley High School and was accepted accepted accepted ac ac- ac- ac teaching Spanish for three years Their next Air Force transfer transfer transfer trans trans- fer was to Hill Air Force Base in Ogden Utah where her husband is a Medical Technician Technician cian in the Flight Surgeons Surgeon's office at the base hospital Utah is quite different than my home in Kincaid Ill she added She has been an adjunct instructor at 4 1 r w r t YN a 9 I 7 z w z L. L iL Photo by Ed Ite Ruth Alcant Alcantara ra Spanish instructor since the fall of 1991 along with being a student in Italian Italian Italian Ital Ital- ian She said that it is fun to communicate with stu stu- dents in their own tongue El EI espa ol es y fad facil facH Senora Alcant Alcantara ra concluded |