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Marisol Marcin, PhD ’16, has a love for languages. As a global studies and romance languages lecturer at ������ɫ, she’s building cross-cultural connections and inspiring educators across the state. A native of Colombia, Marcin earned an undergraduate degree there and later became a high school teacher in Sidney, New York.

“I learned classroom teaching is not complete unless students have the opportunity to use language in real and meaningful ways,” Marcin says.

She was subsequently invited to teach in ������ɫ’s Romance Languages and Literatures Department while completing her doctorate in translation studies. A common thread across her teaching in Spanish and global studies is that students converse with native Spanish speakers. For example, her Hispanic culture students talk over Zoom or WhatsApp with peers in Ecuador.

“By the end of the semester, the students lose their fear of communicating. They will make simple grammar mistakes when speaking, but they know that’s normal, and it’s not as important as getting their stories and ideas across.”

Marcin received a 2025 Pillar of the Community Award from the University’s Latin American and Caribbean Studies program for organizing the LOCO Festival, which celebrates the University’s diversity, raises awareness about human rights and vulnerable populations, and encourages activism in those areas. She started the Lenguas Club, which teams teachers with counterparts abroad to provide a cohesive curriculum based on oral communication and cultural learning.

“I love teaching because of what I see the students come away with. Some of them start out incredibly shy and think they can’t survive the class. But, at the end, they enjoy talking to so many people.”