She is a scholar in the realm of bilingual studies and linguistic history of the American Southwest.
[4] These experiences cemented her career trajectory to help New Mexican Spanish-speakers in the American Southwest.
[5] Gonzales graduated from Adams State College in Alamosa, Colorado with a bachelor's degree in Spanish and Chicano Studies.
She revived and coordinated the Sabine Ulibarrí Spanish Heritage Program at UNM[4] starting in 1999.
By the time she retired, the program had grown to include 23 sections, 11 graduate students, and an assistant director.
[4] The program is intended for adult learners who cannot enroll in university classes using immersion techniques.
[7] Gonzales began a writing group in 2016, Nuestras Voces Chicanas, which brings together bilingual women from northern New Mexico and southern Colorado to share their stories, as they have been historically marginalized by traditional publishing companies.