HOMETOWN
Teruel, Spain
EDUCATION
Graduated from Francés de Aranda High School (Teruel, Spain)
Graduated from UNIZAR (Zaragoza, Spain), three times: a degree and two masters
Studied cinema and literature at the Universität zu Köln (Cologne, Germany) for one year
Degree in English Philology
Master’s degree in Teaching
Master's degree in Cultural Studies
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
University professor (UNIZAR)
English translator -- Student.com
Personal translation project about Francisco de Goya
Language school teacher
High School teacher
Erasmus + coordinator
Teacher coordinator for outdoor activities
MY FAMILY
In addition to my parents, I have a brother, Miguel. Our family currently lives in three different countries, but we always gather for Christmas time. My brother is a programmer, and he lives in the Czech Republic. My mom and dad live in a small Spanish town called Teruel. It is very hot in the summer, and we get snow in the winter. My mom is a historian, and she works at the university library. My dad used to work as an attorney, and even though he is now retired, he still works as a college professor.
MY HOBBIES
I’m a very active person, and I do enjoy enrolling in any kind of sport activity. I currently do crossfit and snowboarding and even though I am not very skillful at any of those, I do love the feeling of learning and improving every day.
Apart from sports, I travel a lot. I’ve visited countries in five continents so far, but there are still millions of places to be explored. Traveling broadens horizons, and I love meeting new people and knowing about their lives and customs.
WHY I CHOSE THE UNITED STATES
Some years ago I visited the US, and I was very impressed by people’s kindness and the country itself. Therefore, when I had the opportunity to apply for a program that offered working visas in the US, I didn’t hesitate and went for it.
I’ve been teaching for a long time now, and I have encountered many different situations and types of students. However, I had never had the opportunity to teach my native tongue, and I was willing to become a Spanish language ambassador.
Rest assured that seeing these American students learning Spanish from scratch melts my heart.
HOW IT WENT DOWN -- A SIDENOTE FROM MR. MCCORMICK
After much research, Mrs. Whaley and I decided to take a leap of faith and utilize the IDOE and Spanish embassy's J-1 visiting teacher visa program to fill our open Spanish teaching position. Approximately 30 school districts across the state currently utilize this program with nearby Cowan being one of those districts. Overall, the process was fairly straightforward, but it took quite a bit of time to submit applications followed by an interview process of candidates that Mrs. Whaley and BRV staff members carried out.
We couldn't be more happy and pleased with Ms. Royo. It is a tremendous help that she is bi-lingual and speaks English very well. She is outgoing and a very pleasant person. Our students are extremely fortunate to be able to learn Spanish from a teacher from Spain! Additionally, our BRV staff members have embraced Ms. Royo. She fits into BRV life very well. She is an extremely resourceful, talented, and tough individual. In a matter of several weeks, she moved across the Atlantic ocean to a strange place, found lodging, bought a car, and hit the ground running as a teacher. She is doing a tremendous job! --- Mr. McCormick
