School of Education
Cohort: 2021
Dean's Scholar
William Lewis & Rosalie Rolón-Dow
Teaching Assistant
Sociocultural and Community-based Approaches
April Vazquez
As a creative writer and former English teacher, I’m interested in the transformative power of fiction–specifically, how engagement with fictional texts contributes to the identity development of young people. My research also centers issues of identity and self-expression more broadly–doctoral candidates who choose nontraditional dissertation formats, for example, or the experiences of younger-than-typical students in university settings.
Education
- M.Ed., Teaching English as a Second Language, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC
- B.A., English, University of North Carolina at Asheville, Asheville, NC
Professional Experience
- Classroom teacher for 15 years
Certification areas: K-12 Spanish, K-12 ESL, 6-9 Language Arts, 9-12 English, 6-12 National Board certification in English as a New Language
Recent Honors and Awards
- North Carolina Teaching Fellow, University of North Carolina at Asheville
- Dean’s Scholar, University of Delaware
Publications
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Vázquez, A. (2023, Fall). Hijas sin Papi: Plot tropes restored to life by Latina protagonists in three young adult novels. The ALAN Review, 51(1), 11-21.
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Vázquez, A. (2023, May). The magic of seeing yourself in books: Embracing depictions of multiracial characters in literature for young people. Kappan, 104(8), 52-55.
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Vázquez, A. (2023, March). Coming home: A reflection on the gift of poetry. The English Journal, 112(4), 51-57.
Presentations
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Vázquez, A. (2024, April 11-14). Toward mestizaje: Supporting integrated racial identity development in biracial young people [Roundtable session]. American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting, Philadelphia, PA, United States.
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Vázquez, A. (2024, April 11-14). Non-traditional dissertation creators as Emersonian scholars [Poster presentation]. American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting, Philadelphia, PA, United States.
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Vázquez, A. (2023, August 3-5). Girls in pieces: Biracial identity among Latina-white university students [Poster presentation]. American Psychological Association Convention, Washington, D.C., United States.
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Vázquez, A. (2022, October 15). Using creative arts to teach environmental justice [Conference presentation]. Philadelphia Writing Project Conference, Philadelphia, PA, United States.