My experiences as a lifelong language learner and a foreign language teacher fostered my interest in pursuing a PhD in Second Language Studies, which I completed in summer 2016. I have taught in diverse classrooms and have had the opportunity to witness daily in my job the systematicity of language acquisition together with its variability. I was intrigued by how, given the same learning opportunities, some learners were better than others at learning a language. My research interests have thus mainly revolved around the role that individual differences (e.g., motivation and affective factors) and identity play in L2 learning. I have conducted research in several areas such as the dynamics of foreign language teachers’ motivation to seek and pursue professional development activities, the role that identity and patience play during study abroad , and how anxiety during task-based L2 interactions can affect how learners seize the learning opportunities afforded by the interactions. The final project being my dissertation. During my PhD journey I had the privilege to work as Dr. Susan Gass’ s research assistant. This enabled me to gain experience in the editorial process of the SSLA journal and in collecting online data using eye-tracking technology. I grew as a scholar and a person in the challenging  multicultural academic environment and scholarly community offered by the SLS program at MSU, and I will miss it deeply. My goal is to continue pursuing a career where research and teaching reciprocally inform each other. I hope my research contributes to the academic debate in SLA and helps L2 learners become successful L2 speakers by gaining awareness and a better understanding of their learning process.