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Livingstone College Faculty Profiles

Meet Livingstone College Instructor of Spanish
Pilar Cabrera-Abreu
 
 
It seems Pilar Cabrera-Abreu has been teaching Spanish all of her life.
 
She taught her native language for nearly 10 years at a New York City high school, for a year at Barton College in Wilson, N.C., and for five years at Wake Technical Community College in Raleigh before coming to Livingstone College two years ago.
 
An Instructor of Spanish, Cabrera-Abreu has a bachelor’s degree in psychology from INTEC, or Instituto Technologico de Santo Domingo, a bachelor’s degree in human services from Boricua College in New York City and a master’s degree in linguistics from USAD, or Universidad Autonoma de Santo Domingo.
 
The Dominican Republic native who is known for wearing snazzy shoes said she loves the family atmosphere that exists at Livingstone.
 
“I like the way faculty, staff and students work together in a family environment,” Cabrera-Abreu said. “I also like it that Livingstone is a small school because it makes it easier to communicate to the students, and they can learn more easily.”
 
Several months ago, Livingstone College officials spearheaded efforts to create The HBCU Study Abroad Consortium, a collaborative effort involving 10 of North Carolina’s 11 historically black colleges and universities. The consortium, a first of its kind in North Carolina, was the brainchild of Livingstone College President Dr. Jimmy R. Jenkins, Sr. and is intended to ensure students from HBCUs begin taking advantage of the vast experiences to be gained from studying abroad.
 
As part of that consortium, Livingstone is sending Cabrera-Abreu to The Dominican Republic the week of Oct. 18 to network with professors from other U.S. institutions as well as those who teach abroad.
 
While there, Cabrera-Abreu will learn firsthand what students will experience when they participate in internships through InteRDom, a company that bills itself as the premier internship and academic study program in The Dominican Republic.
 
“We all know experience is the best teacher, so we realize the prudence in sending a college representative to the Dominican Republic so she can come back equipped with valuable knowledge to pass on to students about the resources, infrastructure and opportunities that can come with studying abroad,” said Dr. Leroy Simmons, Vice President of Academic Affairs. “I am excited about what Ms. Cabrera-Abreu will learn in the Dominican Republic and how it will translate into professional experience for our students.”
 
Even though the trip represents “going back home” for Cabrera-Abreu, she knows she won’t have time to visit with relatives.
 
“I don’t have any family members in the city, Santo Domingo, but I have some far from the city,” she said. “I won’t be able to see them, unfortunately, but I’ll at least call them.”
 
But that’s okay with Cabrera-Abreu, because she’s going to equip herself with knowledge to bring back to the students, which is far more important.
 
“I’m so excited about this program because this program will help the students here and the Dominican Republic in an economic way,” she said. “I know there are very good professionals that can help the students get involved with the language and the culture and all the needs they have there. It’s good for the Spanish department and also for other departments that Livingstone College is involved in this study abroad program because the emphasis isn’t just on learning Spanish. Students can also learn in other fields, including psychology and criminal justice.”
 
When Cabrera-Abreu isn’t teaching Spanish at Livingstone College, she enjoys spending time with her daughters, Carolina Giraldo, 17, a senior at Broughton High School in Raleigh, and Aileen Giraldo, 12, a sixth grader at North Hills Christian School in Salisbury.
 
She also enjoys writing poetry and is writing a book on self-esteem. And Cabrera-Abreu really enjoys volunteering with Crossroads Fellowship in Raleigh, a non-denominational church that works closely with the Hispanic community to lend support in any way necessary.
 
“I work as a counselor,” Cabrera-Abreu said. “When they have conflicts in their families, we counsel them. If they need to learn English, we support them with that, too.”
 
 Cabrera-Abreu said just as more Hispanics should try to acclimate themselves to the American way of life, including learning to speak English, she thinks more Americans should try to learn the basics in Spanish.”
 
It’s a little funny to her now, but years ago when she was in high school Cabrera-Abreu seriously considered becoming a nun.
 
“When I was younger I wanted to join a convent,” Cabrera-Abreu said. “I was very close to becoming a nun when I finished La Salle High School in Santo Domingo. I felt like I wanted to serve God, and I thought that becoming a nun would be a good way to do that, but I changed my mind. My mother did not want me to do that, and I eventually changed my mind.”
 

Today, Cabrera-Abreu feels she’s serving God through trying to educate the minds of young people – and of course through her work with Crossroads Fellowship.

-- Compiled by Laurie D. Willis
Assistant Director of Public Relations