Latin American Studies

Sarah Anderson

Dept. of LAST & LANC

Outstanding Teacher 2021

Sarah Anderson

From her warmth and approachability to her investments in cultivating excellence in her classrooms, Sarah Anderson’s impact is felt across campus.

The Chico State alumna’s talents are incredibly versatile but flourish most notably in the Department of International Languages, Literatures, and Cultures. Anderson keeps upwards of a dozen Spanish and Latin American studies courses in her regular rotation and teaches a variety of upper- and lower-division subjects including reading and composition, Spanish teaching, social and historical Latin American studies, and Spanish language.

She is known for her infectious teaching style. Her classroom presence is interactive and inviting, and she cultivates genuine engagement and enthusiasm. Even under the challenges COVID-19 has created with virtual learning, she has mastered translating her teaching style into an online format, creating a lively and enriching environment over Zoom. When teaching about great authors, major world events, or intensive language pedagogy, Anderson’s instruction leads to students’ lasting success.

“I love being in the classroom, engaging with students, and creating curriculum. For me, to teach is to inspire.  Although my passion is to teach language, literature, and culture, my goal is to inspire my students to find their own passion in life,” she said. “I am a lifelong learner and I model this in my teaching, as I learn with my students and share in the joy of discovering and learning new things each semester. I am constantly creating and thinking about new and innovative ways to introduce materials and how to engage the students in a fun and interactive way.”

https://today.csuchico.edu/2020-21-outstanding-faculty/

Portrait of Sarah Anderson