The Department of Spanish and Portuguese Studies welcomed alumna Heather Jordan back to campus this week for a series of conversations linking language learning with global health work. Invited by M. Elizabeth Ginway, Jordan—who earned her B.A. in Spanish at UF and studied abroad with UF in Rio—is fluent in Portuguese and Spanish and later completed an M.P.H. in International Health and Development.
On Monday, September 29, Jordan met with students at the Keene Center (9:00–10:00 a.m.; 11:00–11:30 a.m.) and visited multiple Portuguese classes (10:40, 11:45, 12:50, 1:55). She shared field experiences from service in Mozambique with the Peace Corps and program work in Angola with World Vision, illustrating how multilingual proficiency opens doors in community health, development and humanitarian response. Students engaged Jordan on career pathways, from language study to graduate training and on-the-ground project delivery in Lusophone Africa.
The department thanks Tania Fleming, the advisory committee and supporting faculty for coordinating the visit—and extends a warm muito obrigada to Heather for inspiring the next generation of globally minded Gators.
