Three Penn State sisters share love of service and linguistics

UNIVERSITY, PARK, Pa. — For the Duiker sisters — Lina Ruth Duiker, Maria Rebecca Duiker and Anna Raquel Duiker — family, culture and education are at the heart of everything they do. Coming from a multilingual household, they were inspired by their immigrant parents to pursue higher education, and their shared passion for the Spanish language has shaped their unique paths. All three sisters are connected by their studies at Penn State, where they deepened their love for language, culture and service.

The sisters grew up in State College, Pennsylvania, with Spanish and Dutch immigrant parents who emphasized the importance of education to build a better future. Their parents, who valued learning and hard work, encouraged the sisters to pursue higher education and explore the opportunities it could offer. The Duiker sisters understood that education was a powerful tool to honor their family's sacrifices and create positive change in their own lives and communities.

Their mother, a Spanish immigrant, played a key role in shaping their love for the language and culture. She not only passed down the language but also shared her experiences and stories, which sparked their curiosity and passion for learning more about Spanish-speaking communities.

The Duikers said they chose to attend Penn State because of its strong Spanish language program in the Department of Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese and diverse academic opportunities. They were drawn to the University’s commitment to supporting students from various backgrounds and providing them with the resources to succeed.

During their time at Penn State, all three majored or minored in Spanish and took part in numerous research projects that deepened their understanding of language, culture and social issues. The sisters have used the skills they gained through their Spanish education and research to forge a unique career path, building on their love for language and their desire to make a difference in the world.

Lina Ruth Duiker is a 2018 Penn State graduate who was a Paterno Fellow, double-majored in Spanish and philosophy, and double-minored in women’s studies and Latin American studies. She currently works as an immigration attorney in Philadelphia. Although she and her sisters spoke Spanish growing up in their household, she explained the importance of formally studying the language.

“We spoke Spanish growing up, but there’s truly a lot you don’t learn informally,” Lina Ruth Duiker said. “It was really interesting to learn more about the literature and linguistics of the language, and taking classes to learn about the Spanish culture really helped me understand the impact of the work I wanted to do.”

Maria Rebecca Duiker graduated from Penn State in 2024 with a major in elementary and early childhood education and a minor in Spanish. She currently works as a second-grade teacher for Young Scholars of Central Pennsylvania Charter School in State College, Pennsylvania, a position that allows her to utilize skills gained across all her studies at Penn State in the College of Education and College of the Liberal Arts.

“All grades at my school learn Spanish, so it has been very helpful to have this background to teach and support them,” Maria Rebecca Duiker said. “As an educator, having taken linguistics courses has offered me unique insight into the phonetics of languages. This knowledge has become an integral part of how I instruct students as they learn to read and write.”

Anna Raquel Duiker is a current third-year student at Penn State double majoring in Spanish and human development and family studies. She is heavily involved in her church and the Navigators at Penn State, and said she plans to become a missionary following graduation.

“I plan on living in a Spanish speaking country in the future,” Anna Raquel Duiker said. “I really want to be able to prove my knowledge with a degree and succeed in the future.”

During their time at Penn State, all three sisters participated in the U.S. National Science Foundation’s Partnerships for International Research and Education (PIRE) fellowship program to conduct research abroad. The PIRE program, which is housed in the Center for Language Science in the College of the Liberal Arts, allows students who have an interest in linguistics research to travel to a country for six to eight weeks to conduct research. All research-related expenses are covered by the grant, including airfare, lodging, meals and summer tuition and fees.

Lina Ruth Duiker traveled to Palenque, Colombia, for her research, where she studied people who speak Palenquero, the region’s native language. She looked at how the way they learn the language — whether through formal classes or just by speaking it at home — affects their understanding and use of it.

Lina Ruth Duiker explained that this experience was profound in shaping her future career. With both of her parents being immigrants, she has always been interested in the topic of immigration. She said that the PIRE program opened her eyes to a new experience and encouraged her to take the next step in attending law school.

“The Palenquero language changed drastically as a result of racism in Colombia against black Palenqueros,” Lina Ruth Duiker said. “This experience made me want to help people who have experienced racism because of the language they speak. It inspired me to live a life of service and look beyond myself and my own community.”

Through her job, Lina Ruth Duiker encounters immigrants who speak indigenous or other non-English languages who face discrimination as a result.

Maria Rebecca Duiker completed her PIRE research in Puerto Rico, studying how bilingual English-Spanish speakers understand words or sentences that have more than one meaning. She explored how bilingual adults are able to fluidly adjust their interpretation of unclear language situations using context clues.

As an educator, Maria Rebecca Duiker explained that her research project inspired her to pursue an additional certification to teach English to speakers of other languages.

“This experience helped me to value educational research and the importance of using evidence-based methods while teaching,” Maria Rebecca Duiker said. “It helped me build best practices for my classroom so I can teach my students in a culturally responsive way.”

Anna Raquel Duiker also completed her PIRE fellowship in Puerto Rico, where she studied how some people switch between English and Spanish when they speak. She looked at how often this happens, how likely people are to switch languages in different situations and how this affects the way they learn and use both languages.

While she is still figuring out her final career goals, Anna Raquel Duiker said that her time in the PIRE program sparked a love for how language connects people, a topic she hopes to explore more in her career.

“The people I researched switched between Spanish and English, whichever was more comfortable for them, and it was amazing to create a bond through these languages,” Anna Raquel Duiker said. “I loved seeing the social interactions through this project. Going abroad and having these experiences gave me the opportunity to push myself and is something I hope to do again long-term after college.”

While each sister completed different research projects and took different career paths, one thing they all have in common is their love for family. As the children of two immigrants, they share a strong bond that has only grown through their shared experience of attending Penn State.

Growing up in a multicultural household, they developed a unique connection that influenced their career choices. Their family’s celebration of both Spanish and Dutch cultures inspired them to pursue cultural studies in college and to continue embracing their shared heritage. 

“Being first-generation Americans is a huge part of our family’s lives,” Lina Ruth Duiker said. “It opens a level of empathy that is not as common if you haven't been exposed to different cultures. It has shaped our career paths, and even though we’re pursuing different careers, we ultimately want to make a positive impact in the world through service. Our experiences have made us not only closer but also more committed to helping others.”