CEA CAPA Madrid, Spain Directory

Dr. Alicia de la Peña is the Director of Academic Affairs in the CEA CAPA Madrid Center. She is responsible for the administration and supervision of all academic aspects of Madrid programs including curriculum development, academic policies compliance, faculty training and students’ guidance. Alicia has worked in higher education for over 25 years, both as a professor and in different managing positions such as Director of Professional and International Projection and Director of Modern Languages Institute for Nebrija Univerity (Madrid) or Resident Program Coordinator for CIEE Madrid. She gained her doctorate in Education from Autónoma de Madrid University for her research on academic literacy, collaborative writing, and formative evaluation. Alicia’s educational background also includes two M.A. from Nebrija University, one in the Teaching of Spanish as a Second Language and another in Applied Linguistics, and a B.A. in English Philology from Autónoma de Madrid University. She was 10 years old when she had her first life-changing study abroad experience in Ireland; then Canada and US followed. Alicia strongly believes that experiencing different places and cultures is essential to gain global perspective, improve self-knowledge and foster personal and professional development.

Álvaro J. Sanjuán studied English Literature, History and Linguistics at University of Oviedo (Spain) and continued his studies on Applied Languages at Dublin City University (Ireland). After being an Art History professor in UNIPEC in Burgos (Spain) he worked as Web Manager and Community Manager until he began to collaborate for several years as a tour guide with CEA CAPA Madrid where, eventually, he became Student Services Advisor in 2016 and Internships Coordinator in 2022. Alongside his work, he has conducted research on the history of the LGTBQ+ community and authored a book titled "Grandes Maricas de la Historia," which was published by Penguin Random House in 2022. He loves arts, history, opera and classical music and also running and outdoor sports.

Daniela Collazos is the Program Assitant in the CEA CAPA Madrid Center. Daniela performs all duties related to office services and provides informative documentation to guide and assist students to adapt and enjoy the city and the culture. She also assists in all aspects involved in the execution of students’ arrival, excursions, questions related to health matters, and cultural activities. Daniela gained her Master's degree in Language, Literacy, and Sociocultural Studies at the University of New Mexico. Before moving to Spain, she spent her last 9 years living in Albuquerque, New Mexico as an international student, where 5 of those 9 years she worked at the UNM Global Education Office designing and implementing short-term programs for international students with multiple backgrounds, including indigenous students from Mexico and Fulbright Fellows from Argentina & Colombia.

Miguel coordinates activities such as cooking classes, museums and official buildings visits, soccer games, flamenco shows and more, including trips to major cultural cities such as Sevilla or Toledo to ensure that students have a rich experience while in Madrid. Miguel is native to Madrid but worked and studied abroad in the United States for eight years. In those years he obtained a B.A. in International Relations and Sociology/Anthropology and studied abroad in Chile and Central America. During this time he learned the great impact studying abroad has for a students personal growth and development. His experiences abroad have motivated him to help others to have the possible experience abroad through.