I was informally educated on the U.S.-Mexico Tijuana border and formally educated at the University of California, Berkeley (Ph.D Ethnic Studies 2004), and San Francisco State University (M.A. English Composition 2013). I am passionate about writing and teaching writing, reading, and critical thinking. At UCI I design culturally responsive courses that serve the learning needs of low-income first-generation college students.

Courses Typically Taught:

  • Writing 40
  • Writing 50
  • Writing 60

Themes Typically Taught:

  • Autohistoria: Personal Writing for Social Change
  • First Generation Students and the Promise of Higher Education

Course Descriptions:

  • WR60: First Generation Students and the Promise of Higher education: The theme in this class centers the experiences of First Generation students with an emphasis on low-income students and students from immigrant families.
  • WR45/50: Autohistoría: Personal Writing for Social Change: In this section of WR50 we will focus on personal essays and more specifically, personal essays that work towards personal and social transformation—a genre of writing that Gloria Anzaldúa called Autohistorías.

Textbooks Needed:

  • This is a ZERO textbook costs course: all readings are provided by your instructor as pdf files on Canvas

Teaching Portfolio: https://yolandasantiagovenegas.wordpress.com/

Email: venegasy@uci.edu