¡Hola! My name is Mari Russell. I took Spanish 102 so I could learn how to read and write more in Spanish because my father’s side is from Panama. When I was younger, it was easier for me to speak Spanish, but as I got older, I forgot a lot of it.

I want to show that I am proud of my Panamanian side by showing the culture, the food, and music that I grew up with. I rarely see Panama represented in the media, so I want to show what I was able to grow up what my father’s family was able to give me and my siblings.