Alicia Rueda-Acedo, Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Department of Modern
Languages, College of Liberal Arts

Service Learning Course(s):

• Introduction to Translation (3340)
• Interpreting in the Media setting (SPAN 4343)
• Business and Legal Translation (SPAN 4341)
• Spanish Translation and Interpretation Internship
  (SPAN 4392)
• Spanish Internship (4393)

“Everyone wins here. Students win because they can see firsthand that what I teach in my class has a real application outside the classroom."

Dr. Alicia Rueda-Acedo has been teaching at UTA since 2005 and learned about service learning by getting involved with the nonprofit organization, Proyecto Inmigrante. This organization, introduced to her by former student and CEO of Proyecto Inmigrante, focused on helping immigrants with counseling and legal representation services. Wanting to help the families turning to this organization, Dr. Rueda-Acedo enlisted the help of her current students to translate all forms of legal documents for immigrants under Proyecto Inmigrante. Through this collaboration, students help those in need within the community, using the skills they acquire in the classroom and implementing them in real world situations. This service learning project has had extreme success, having translated over 1,500 documents and saving families roughly half a million dollars in translation fees since its start in 2015.

In addition to this, Dr. Rueda-Acedo’s students also work with the Arlington Public Library’s Stories to Our Children to write and publish Spanish children’s books focusing on the struggles and experiences of parents within the Arlington community. A few students are also selected to interpret for women in the Genesis Women’s Shelter Support, which helps women and families who have been victims of domestic violence. Dr. Rueda-Acedo advises faculty interested in service learning to go in unafraid. Through her service learning courses and her experience as a Faculty Fellow she has been able to establish partnerships and create a bigger impact on her community. All of her experiences have been positive, and she feels that the work she is doing now is the most rewarding thing she has ever done.