College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences

World Languages and Cultures

WLC Alumni Stories

School of World Languages and Cultures (WLC) students bring their proficiencies in language and culture to a host of opportunities. Our students have gone into many different fields including education, law, law enforcement, entertainment, hospitality, non-profit management, localization, translation, interpretation, programming, and more, at many of the schools in our area and across California, as well as at higher-profile employers such as SONY, Google, Apple, JET, various NGOs, and the FBI. Read more about our graduates, how their educations prepared them, and what they've pursued since leaving CSUMB. WLC offers majors in Japanese Language and Culture (JLC) and Spanish Language and Hispanic Cultures (SLHC). 

Brooke Banuelos, JLC, 2023

Japanese American National Museum (JANM), Los Angeles

Alyssa Davis, JLC 2021

Graduate Student in Japan

Closeup of Alyssa on Bridge

 

Kenneth Sabatte, SLHC 2020

Monte Vista Christian Middle School, Spanish Teacher

alumnus posing by flowers

Hannah Fulton, JLC 2024

Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program, Assistant Language Teacher 

closeup of alumnus in front of Japanese temple

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Nery González, SLHC 2020

San José State University, Graduate Student and Teacher Associate

Nery Gonzalez headshot of a WLC graduate in a floral jacket

John W JLC 2011

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Intelligence Analyst 

John W alumni headshot

 

Paul Tabag, JLC* 2007

Audible Magic, Sales Development

JLC major Paul Tabag, class of 2007

Adolfo González, SLHC 2018

FIELD, Language Instructor

Adolfo Gonzalez celebrates at commencement ceremony 2018 with diploma in hand

Francisco López-Ruelas, SLHC* 2010

International School of Monterey, Spanish teacher

Francisco López headshot

Alisha Romano, JLC 2020

University of South Florida, Graduate Student

 

Alisha Romano JLC class of 2020 headshot

Ruth Hurtado, SLHC 2019 

Alder Graduate School of Education, Alder Resident 

WLC Alumna Ruth Hurtado 2019 SLHC

Chelsea Yamada, JLC 2020 

Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program, Assistant Language Teacher 

Chelsea Yamada JLC alumnus class of 2020
Brian Chávez Bolaños SLHC class of 2020 photo outdoors near sundown

Kiara Yvonne McLaurin, JLC 2016

CSUMB, M.Ed. Student

Kiara posing for selfie

 

Nicholas McCullough, JLC 2019

Japan Education and Teaching (JET), City of Matsue in Shimane, Japan, Coordinator for International Relations 

Nicholas McCullough, JLC 2019 wearing facemask

 

Lucas Bugarín, SLHC 2022

CSUMB, M.A. in Education and Single Subject Credential in Spanish

 

WLC Alumni News

Congratulations to Davis (JLC '21) accepted to ICU Japanese language program

Alyssa Davis, JLC '21, was accepted into and has begun study in the Stanford University Inter-University Center (IUC) for Japanese Language Studies 10-month program of intensive Japanese language study located in Yokohama, Japan. 

Davis joins Nicholas McCullough, JLC '19, as the second CSUMB student to be accepted into this competitive program. 

Bennett ('10) named 2023-24 Student Club Advisor of the Year

Congratulations to 2023-24 Student Club Advisor of the Year, Mr. David Bennett, for his service to the Anime Club! David is a staff member in WLC and has been active with Anime Club ever since he was a student at CSUMB. He majored in WLC–Emphasis in Japanese ('10), and Teledramatic Arts and Theater ('10) (now Cinematic Arts & Technology). He took on the role of Anime Club advisor following his 2014 hire at CSUMB. Anime Club is the longest-standing continuous student club at CSUMB thanks to dedicated leaders like David.
Staff member and certificate

 

Congratulations to 2024-25 District TOY, Kelly Martinez

District Teacher of the Year, Kelly Martinez (née Stone) JLC ‘11 teaches Japanese at Rosemont High School in Sacramento City Unified School District (SCUSD) and credits her undergraduate and credential training and mentoring at CSUMB for her success. Learn more

Smiling Teacher holding recognition certificate

 

WLC Alum recognized with Provost Award

Congratulations to Ana Maria Treadwell-Delgado, Class of 2004 B.A. in World Languages and Cultures, Emphasis in Spanish, and 2023 M.S. in Instructional Science and Technology, to be recognized for her academic excellence with the Provost’s Graduate Award for Exemplary Academic Achievement at the 2023 graduation ceremonies. In the CSUMB announcement of the award, Treadwell-Delgado recognizes the impact of her studies with Dr. Maria Zielina, WLC faculty emeritus, as transformative to her understanding of literature. 

Treadwell-Delgado's 2004 Capstone project explored Colombian culture through the work of Fernando Botero, the renowned Colombian artist, painter, and sculptor known for large and exaggerated figures. 

6 earn MA in Spanish

WLC shares a big Congratulations to our former students upon their recent earning of Master's Degrees in Spanish! ¡Felicidades
Severiano, Maira, Lizbeth, Angelica, Fabiola y Alma! And appreciations to Dr. Pablo Oliva for supporting their progress. 
2021 SJSU MA in Spanish awarded to 6 former WLC SLHC majors shown holding diplomas at commencement ceremony

A note about degree titles

*The School of World Languages and Cultures has been offering degrees since CSUMB was founded in 1995 and until 2011 the degree was titled Bachelor of Arts in World Languages and Cultures, Emphasis in Japanese or Emphasis in Spanish. In 2011 our faculty grew and now WLC offers majors in Japanese Language and Culture (JLC) and Spanish Language and Hispanic Cultures (SLHC). Students listed with a star icon completed work under a WLC degree with an emphasis in either Japanese or Spanish, but are listed here according to the new major organization.