Kélyn Salazar was born in Santa Ana, El Salvador but moved to San Antonio, Texas shortly thereafter.

She received her BA and MA in Spanish from The University of Texas at San Antonio and is currently pursuing a PhD in Iberian Linguistics at The University of Texas at Austin. Her research focuses on Language Ideologies, Identity, Bilingualism, and Language Contact. More specifically, her work centers on Central American communities in the United States, with a particular emphasis on Salvadoran communities in Texas.

Kélyn's approach prioritizes community perspectives, aiming to amplify and understand their experiences within linguistic and social contexts.