Esénia Bañuelos '26

Major: Linguistics
Minor: Education
Hometown: Chicago, Illinois
Future Plans: I will be teaching ESL as an elementary teacher in the city of Chicago for Teach for America!

How did Bryn Mawr prepare you for your next step? 

Bryn Mawr prepared me for the field of ESL early education through my experiences studying the field of education and my deep admiration for the passion and excitement faculty feel when sharing their research with students. As an Education Studies Minor, courses I've taken with Dr. Allison Cook-Sather and even co-facilitated with Dr. Chanelle Wilson have positioned "teachers" and "learners" as malleable definitions, making the classroom a safe space for all. I seek to build that for my ESL students through Teach for America Chicago in the coming year.

What are you most excited about as you leave Bryn Mawr? 

I am most excited to return to my hometown of Chicago, Illinois, as a teacher, and to bring the love that I have felt and will always continue to feel for Bryn Mawr's highly diverse and extremely gifted community to the field of education. At Bryn Mawr, I was the President of the Self-Governance Association, getting to know the interests of over 1,360 students and working on a wonderful team of eight people on the Executive Board. The amount of care dedicated to fostering homes through the people I have met has astounded me and will never stop inspiring me.

Is there any class, moment, or professor that was especially memorable or impactful? Tell us about it and why. 

Strike 2020 Remembrance Week continues to be among my greatest moments - it was a beautiful time to see students, faculty, staff, academic departments, affinity groups, and so many members of the community united.

What will you miss most about Bryn Mawr? 

I will miss the beautiful moments I spent getting to know my professors, who became my lifelong mentors, and my peers, who have become my lifelong community of leaders and lovers.

Any advice for incoming students? 

Explore. Always say yes. There is always something gorgeous waiting for you. 

What about your Bryn Mawr experience was essential, but you didn’t expect? 

I did not expect how many things I would throw myself into just for the sake of saying I did it — SGA, Enable, Mujeres* — but they became among my greatest memories.