Friday Baptist University of the Américas welcomed Dr. Nancy Compean-Garcia as the fulltime director of the English as a Second Language (ESL) program/Advanced Teacher.
Dr. Garcia brings 29 years of professional teaching experience in the public sector. Prior to accepting her role at BUA, she served for 11 years as Associate Professor, Program Coordinator of Bilingual / ESL Programs at Texas A&M University – San Antonio, where she pioneered the Bilingual Education Program.
Dr. Garcia has worked as an educational consultant, director, coordinator, professor and lecturer at a variety of higher education institutions in Texas. She also spent a semester teaching and conducting research in Spain as an honorary professor. She spent the first nine years of her career teaching bilingual, elementary education.
She has authored a book, Better Together, and published scholarly articles in numerous academic journals. Dr. Garcia has been awarded numerous grants, fellowships and awards, successfully leveraging these opportunities to impact the community. She has also shared her expertise as a presenter at a variety of conferences and prestigious institutions in across the city, state and nation, as well as internationally.
Dr. Nancy Compean-Garica serves as ESL Director / Head Teacher at BUA.
Dr. Garcia earned her Doctor of Education in Bilingual Education / ESL with a specialization in Bilingual/ Biliteracy Skills & Home Environment from Texas A&M University-Kingsville. She also has a Master of Education in Curriculum & Instruction from the University of Texas- Brownsville, as well as a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish & Sociology from Texas State University, San Marcos.
Dr. Garcia was first introduced to BUA more than five years ago. She has been praying about serving at BUA ever since. She says she is most excited about meeting the students. Her personal experiences as an ESL student in elementary school have given her greater insights into the challenges of learning a second language.
“I know God led me here,” reflected Dr. Garcia. “I have always dreamed of working in a university where I could openly share the word of God. I know that the leadership is Christ-like. This is the place where I want to be.”
Dr. Garcia is both gifted and experienced in developing programs, teaching methods and curriculum. She believes this work is always most successful with a team, making her excited to join and learn from the BUA faculty and students.
“We are overjoyed to welcome Dr. Garcia to BUA,” commented BUA President Dr. Abe Jaquez. “The acumen and well-rounded experience she adds, coupled with her passion for building programs and developing students, will no doubt leave an indelible mark on our school.”
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