Raquel Wigginton
Latin America Instructor
Goshen College, B.A. in Education
University of California Santa Barbara, M.A. in Education
Raquel is an educator in a variety of contexts. Her beginnings as a teacher started with homeless and immigrant youth in the Bay Area. Now, she works with students from around the globe, always incorporating critical thinking and cultural awareness as part of her curriculum. Born in Botswana, and having grown up in Bolivia and Argentina, she considers herself a global citizen and specifically tied to South American culture, the language, and the people. When she was twelve she moved Stateside. The aspects of her South American identity were cultivated further during her undergraduate degree in Teaching English. During this time she also took part in a study abroad semester in Quito, Ecuador. She continued her training to obtain her Masters where she focused on Linguistics curriculum in public schools and learning about research and evaluation in education contexts.
At the heart of learning and teaching, there is always community. Wherever she goes, this community element is always present. Raquel is excited to lead her third course in South America with Dragons this spring. As an instructor, she knows that learning happens outside one’s comfort zone and is always willing to support students in this process. Finally, she always learns the most from participants and looks forward not only to teaching, but growing as an educator.