Advising

Make a Phone or Zoom Appointment

Over winter break, we offer phone or Zoom appointments. If you elect the phone option, we will call you from a restricted/private phone number. If you cannot find an available appointment time, please email [email protected].

Academic Advisors

Maryanne Williams Smoczyk

Maryanne has been working with students in Spanish and Portuguese Studies since October 2006. Prior to being an academic advisor, Maryanne was a middle school Spanish teacher. Maryanne majored in Spanish and Elementary Education and has a master's degree in Counseling with a focus on Student Development in Higher education. She enjoys working with students as they progress through their undergraduate degree. 

Jonathan Cukla, Interim Academic Advisor

Jonathan Cukla is a Temporary Academic Advisor for the Department of Spanish and Portuguese Studies. Jonathan graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2020 with a degree in Spanish & Portuguese Studies. In addition, he also spent time learning other languages, gaining proficiency in American Sign Language, French, and Italian. While studying, he also worked as a Peer Advisor for the department for two years. After graduation, Jonathan taught in a bilingual high school in Salamanca, Spain for three years. Currently, he is a Spanish and Portuguese teacher at Pine City High School, about one hour north of the metro. As an alumnus, Jonathan hopes to inspire students to discover all the opportunities that lie ahead as a language professional, whether in education, interpretation, or any other field. 

Natalie Sartori Wharton

Natalie joined CLA as a Regional Advisor in CLA and in the Spanish and Portuguese department in November 2021 after completing her master's in Comparative International Development Education from the College of Education and Human Development. Prior to this role, she spent over 10 years teaching K-12 internationally in South Korea, Mexico, Guatemala, United Arab Emirates, and Ghana. Natalie is excited to be working with our SPPT students since she also majored in Spanish Studies and studied abroad in Toledo, Spain. 

Peer advisors

Rachel Hoppe, Peer Advisor

Rachel Hoppe is a peer advisor for the Department of Spanish and Portuguese from Chanhassen, MN. She is pursuing a double major in Journalism and Spanish Studies. She fell in love with Spanish after seeing how passionate many of her teachers at Chanhassen High School were for the language. Rachel knew she wanted to continue studying Spanish when she started to see her ability to communicate complex thoughts develop. Rachel hopes she can help other students continue their academic endeavors within the Spanish and Portuguese Studies department!

Annika Wulf, Peer Advisor

Annika Wulf is a peer advisor for the Department of Spanish & Portuguese Studies.  Originally from Mound, MN, Annika is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences, and Spanish & Portuguese Studies.  Annika has been interested in Spanish Studies since she was in high school, when her favorite Spanish teacher sparked a love for language learning, as well as for studying cultures and linguistics.  As the peer advisor, Annika hopes to be a helpful resource to students pursuing the various programs available within the Department of Spanish & Portuguese Studies.

Diya Patel, Student Ambassador

Diya Patel is a peer ambassador for the Department of Spanish and Portuguese Studies. Originally from Germantown, WI, Diya is pursuing a major in Biochemistry and minor in Spanish. She has always been passionate about exploring diverse cultures, which inspired her to purse a minor in Spanish. Diya wants to use her minor to help her communicate effectively with non-English speaking patients in her future career as a doctor. As a peer ambassador, Diya hopes to help students connect with faculty and 
discover opportunities to strengthen their speaking skills.