Rooted in culture, driven by connection

For Lina San Juan Martinez ’25, choosing Lenoir-Rhyne University was the easy part.

“My older sister also went to Lenoir-Rhyne, so it felt like a given that I would go to college here too,” said San Juan Martinez, who was born and raised in Hickory.

Finding her academic path took more time. She considered psychology before a class with Shameika Stokes, DSW, sparked an interest in social work. Eventually, she found the right fit in a double major in Spanish and human and community service. Her decision to study Spanish was deeply personal.

“My family is Mexican. As part of the first generation born in the United States, it’s easy for the language to get lost,” she said. “I wanted to keep in touch with my family and my roots, so I went to Spain to study the language and international education.”

In fall 2023, she spent a semester in Granada, Spain, where full immersion helped her sharpen her language skills and broaden her perspective. While the dialect in Spain differed from the Spanish she was used to hearing at home, the experience proved invaluable.

“It was the first time I’d been away from home, so I had to adjust to a new culture and get over the homesickness,” she said. “At the same time, I learned so much about myself and really opened up my thinking about what my future could hold.”

Exploring Europe offered San Juan Martinez the opportunity to sample new foods, view priceless works of art and connect with different cultures. One especially meaningful visit took her to Stockholm to stay with a couple who had a unique connection to her family.

“My parents had a friend who married a woman from Sweden after she came to Mexico on her study abroad journey years ago. My sister is named after her,” San Juan Martinez shared. “I went to Stockholm and stayed with them for three days. I met their children, who are my age. It was so special to feel that connection with the whole family.”

After returning to LR, San Juan Martinez joined the William and Robert Shuford Center for International Education as an intern, where she focuses on social media, web marketing, peer advising and event planning.

“I really enjoy my work here,” she said. “This morning, I worked with a student who is going to study abroad in Spain this fall. She came in with her family who only spoke Spanish, so I was able to translate for them. It felt like a full-circle moment for me.”

She’ll complete that circle again this summer when she returns to Spain to continue her language studies at the Universidad de Almeria.

Looking ahead, San Juan Martinez sees international education as more than a personal journey—it’s a potential career.

“I think the right opportunity will emerge as I get into the job search,” she said. “But working with the staff at the Shuford Center and attending conferences for international education has convinced me I would like to work in international education full time because it’s been such a meaningful part of my life. Studying abroad opens so many doors, personally and professionally, and gives you so many chances to connect with others.”