Genoveva Vega

Genoveva Vega (she/her/ella) is a first-generation M.A. student studying English with a concentration in Rhetoric and Composition at Washington State University. In May 2023, she earned her B.A. in Psychology with a minor in Writing Studies from the University of California, Merced. During her undergrad, Genoveva was a writing consultant, writing peer learning assistant, and writing research assistant. She came to those positions as a multilingual student (first language: Spanish and reconnecting with her mother tongue/lengua materna: Mixteco) and her experiences of being negatively judged when learning and writing in English. Through supporting students who shared similar experiences as her, she began working on projects that fostered linguistically just practices in writing spaces for all writers. These projects motivated her to switch over and join the field of Rhetoric and Composition for her graduate studies to continue creating linguistically just practices beyond her undergraduate institution. 

At Washington State University, Genoveva teaches first-year composition classes with a linguistic diversity/linguistic justice lens to help students understand and critique the relationships between language, knowledge, and power. Her interests include linguistic diversity and linguistic justice in writing spaces, translingualism practices, second language pedagogy, TESL practices, and higher education administration (specifically Minority Serving Institutions). In addition, she studies various forms of rhetoric, such as Mestiza Rhetorics, Border Rhetorics, and Anti-racist Rhetorics & Pedagogies.

Genoveva's desire to pursue and continue her education comes from the inspiration of her Mexican, Oaxacan, heritage and more specifically, her father, Alejandro Vega, who always tells her, “Échale ganas, mija.” “Give it your all, dear.”