Dr. Raquel Green communicates in a way that grabs
and enthralls her students in the subject matter she is
teaching.
An assistant Spanish professor at Cabrini College for
three years, Green has a strong passion for education that
is evident in the way she teaches.
Green embodies Cabrini College’s ‘‘Education of the
Heart.’’
“I believe the “Justice Matters” curriculum has been
brought into a sharper focus on the mission of Cabrini
College,” Green said. “There is so much to do here as a
professor. It is a very exciting community to exist in and
we are all a part of a unique community. The faculty is
very engaged, and all of us are trying to come together,
trying to create courses that will shape the ‘Justice Matters’
curriculum over time. To me, it is a tremendous
time of change and opportunities here. I am humbled and
grateful to be here.”
Green was born and raised in Argentina. Argentina is
located between the Andes mountain range in the west
and the Atlantic Ocean in the east. Argentina is a founding
member of the United Nations as well as the Union
of South American Nations.
Green said her childhood was a wonderful experience.
Green was born in the capital city of La Pampa,
a province in the interior of Argentina. She lived her
early years in a small town of nearly 70,000 inhabitants,
although the area had many cattle ranches, one of
which her mother owned. Coming from a family of five,
Green’s siblings were older than her growing up.
While she was still a child, Green’s father took the
family to the seashore and visited relatives in Mar del
Plata, located just south of Buenos Aires. In her downtime
on the weekends, Green would travel to her family’s
ranch and ride horses and climb trees.
“I was a bit of a tomboy as a kid,” Green said.
At the age of 18, Green came to the United States as
an exchange student.
“After that year of experience in the U.S., when I
came back to Argentina, I didn’t want to become a teacher
as I first thought. At that point I wanted to become a
professional translator,” Green said.
Back in Argentina, Green studied for a year in translation
at Universidad del Salvador, a Jesuit university
in Buenos Aires. After only completing a year of the program,
Green was married and came to the United States.
“When I went to Villanova as an undergrad, I worked
at Wyeth labs as a bilingual secretary, and when they
realized how well I spoke two languages, I was moved to
the medical marketing department as a translator and that
is where I stayed for six years,” Green said.
Being in her late 20s at the time, Green kept the possibility
of having a family in her mind and began exploring
other options in order to expand her horizons.
Learning that she could get scholarships to go on to
graduate school, Green then decided to finish her undergraduate
work and continue on to the graduate program
at Bryn Mawr College.
Green subsequently received her bachelor’s degree
at Villanova University and went on to graduate studies
at Bryn Mawr College where she received her master’s
degree and doctorate degree.
Before coming to Cabrini, Green taught for 11 years
at her alma mater, Bryn Mawr College. Primarily, Green
taught advanced language classes at what she said is a
college that is strongly committed to foreign language
education.
Six students from Cabrini went with Dr. Zurek and
Green to the San Lucas Mission in Guatemala for seven
days last spring, and Green plans on going again during
the upcoming spring break.
For the upcoming Guatemala trip, Green said a group
of Cabrini alumni will be joining a group of students
while they live and work there as a part of the service
aspect of the trip.
“Being able to share the experience with alumni will
make this a very interesting and rewarding trip,” Green
said. “It is important for students to understand that
these kind of experiences are the ones that they will
never forget. Last year, even though I grew up in a Latin
American country, I had never been to Guatemala, so for
me it was a life changing experience.”
Green said one exciting thing that has happened
recently was the launch of the Spanish department’s new
Engagements in the Common Good course series, called
Our Interconnected Hemisphere. Ranging from the 100
to the 400 level, these new courses all work with the
Norristown community, specifically the Norristown Area
High School. Cabrini students who are in these classes
mentor high school students in the local Latino communities,
with the goal of helping students graduate and
possibly seeking secondary education.
“Overall, foreign language is so reverent to everything
we’re trying to do as a part of social justice,” Green said.
“Many of the communities that are in need of social justice
are hispanic in the U.S. In that respect, the Spanish
department’s role in promoting ‘Justice Matters’ is only
set to grow in the future.”
“Learning a second language gives you the key to
view the world in a very different way,” Green said. “It
is a skill that is essential for living in the U.S. right now.”
When she is not teaching, Green said she loves to
walk with her husband of 38 years when the weather is
nice. Listening to classical music and watching BBC
productions on television are two activities that Green
and her husband prefer to do as well.
Recently, Green and her husband went on a cruise
for vacation. On one of the excursions, Green and her
husband explored Mayan Ruins in Mexico.
Green describes herself as a fairly private person outside
of her profession.
She also said she is a very healthy eater, although she
does like to indulge from time to time.
“It is important to bring reality into the classroom,”
Green said. “My hope for the future is that, as educators,
we are able to give students knowledge, and also give
you the practical tools to go out into the world and make
a positive change for the common good, to empower you
to go and make changes in the world.”
A Few of her Favorite Things; Fast Facts about Dr. Raquel Green:
Children: two boys, twins; both are 22 years of age
Favorite food: Vegetable Lasagna
Favorite singer-songwriter: Leonard Cohen
Favorite color: Teal
Favorite vacation spot: Anywhere there are woods and lakes
Pets: No pets due to her son’s allergies
Home: Green lives in Collegeville, Pa.
Favorite thing to drink in the morning: Mate, a South American Tea
Favorite Ice Cream: Chocolate
Favorite thing to mix into Ice Cream: Mint or Raspberry
Favorite Fruit to eat: any summer fruits, such as peaches
