My name is Matea Larrieu (pronounced muh-tay-uh lah-ree-you). I grew up in the south suburbs of Chicago with my parents, two brothers and two sisters. I come from a multi-ethnic family and community, and I was exposed to a diverse set of cultures from a very young age. I was also introduced to Spanish pretty early on in my life through music, TV shows and interactions with my childhood friends who spoke Spanish. These aspects of my childhood helped spark my fascination with world cultures, traditions and languages.
Throughout grade school and high school, I participated in a variety of activities that also shaped my interests. I played the violin in my school orchestra and took formal Spanish classes where I learned more about Spanish-speaking cultures. When I was in high school, my older sister began participating in her college’s study abroad program and traveling around the world. After each trip, she would come back home with amazing gifts and stories about her time abroad. This gave me the desire to travel and have an adventure of my own. It wasn’t until my last year of high school that I finally got that chance. My high school orchestra director announced that we were going to spend our Spring Break touring Spain. I was ecstatic and extremely grateful to have been given this opportunity.
My trip to Spain was an unforgettable experience.
