Laura Zalazar (she/her/ella) is a PhD student in the Spanish Linguistics program. Originally from Buenos Aires, Argentina and prior to becoming a doctoral graduate student, Laura graduated with a BA in Teaching English as a Foreign Language. In 2018, Laura was awarded a Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistantship grant that took her to teach Spanish in the US. She went to Amherst College, Massachusetts, where she was both a Teaching Assistant of Spanish and a cultural ambassador. In 2021, she received a Master of Arts degree in Spanish as a Second or Bilingual Language from Michigan State University (MSU). At MSU, she taught introductory and intermediate Spanish courses and during the AY 2020-2021, she worked as the Graduate Assistant coordinating the MSU Spanish Writing Center. Laura is primarily interested in second language learning. Her research interests include Instructed Language Learning (ILL), second language development with a focus on reading and writing, and language assessment. Outside of academia, Laura enjoys listening to music, biking, and spending time with friends.