Aguiar is now a senior at U of M majoring in anthropology and Spanish with a career goal of becoming a lawyer and possibly working in the area of immigration.
For the past three years she has been involved in research projects, starting as an assistant in the first year and then the past two years leading her own research on bilingual children. The $10,400 Stamps scholarship will help her continue her research and hopefully publish a thesis in Spanish at the end of the year.
She’s been working on her research while also attending professional development workshops each week and meeting people from around the globe. She hopes to publish a thesis on her research at the end of the year.
“The Hispanic population of children is growing all over the country, but still, they are under researched. When I was in Middleville, there were not many Spanish-speaking students around. I want to do research and see if we can change policies to better represent bilingual students. I’ve been working on it since last May. I’ve hired an assistant and have been training them to help.”
Aguiar got involved with UROP (Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program) that gives undergraduates a chance to be part of research partnerships. To participate in UROP, Aguiar must conduct research on average between 6 and 12 hours per week and engage in weekly research seminars. She must also attend monthly meetings with a UROP peer facilitator. She has also been able to present her research at the University of Michigan yearly, and she will be heading to the University of California, Los Angeles next year to present her findings at a conference.
“Through UROP, I’ve connected with mentors who work with kids, and I just have loved it. I’ve found I truly enjoy education. I never really considered policymaking for Spanish-speaking students, but I’m learning a lot. I wanted to stay within my own culture and embrace it.”
Aguiar said she’s excited about the research work she is beginning to do and appreciative of the scholarship she received. “I think bilingual research is important so we can better understand the needs of bilingual students.”
While a student at TK, she says there weren’t many Spanish-speaking students but said she was always grateful for her teachers who supported her.
“My teachers were so supportive, and Mr. Thompson (now a retired TK teacher) pushed me to do my best and apply to get into college. I never thought I would even have the chance. My teachers at TK really saw my potential even when I wasn’t sure about it myself. They motivated me to try and not give up,” she said.
Aguiar will graduate this spring and says she may decide to take a year off working as a paralegal before continuing to pursue a law degree.