Category Archives: Hispanic Studies students

Casa Hispana Students have been featured in the College TODAY!

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Check out the College TODAY’s article: “Casa Hispana Residents Study Abroad Without Leaving Campus”

Excerpt from the article, “Native speakers or heritage speakers should also consider living in the Casa Hispana,” says native Spanish speaker Anna Paneda, a junior foreign language education major who has lived in the house since her sophomore year. She adds that it’s also the perfect community for students who “want to submerge themselves in the Spanish language but may not be able to take the opportunity to travel abroad.”

And, with travel and study abroad at a virtual standstill due to the coronavirus pandemic, those opportunities are especially scarce these days.

That’s why tools like TalkAbroad – which facilitates conversations between students and speakers around the world – are so crucial. The service has been used in many CofC Spanish classes over the years – but, last semester, it occurred to Gómez and senior Hispanic studies instructor Devon Hanahan that TalkAbroad could be applied in Casa Hispana, too.

“We had just installed this brand-new 50-inch TV with a camera and a dedicated PC, so it just made perfect sense for the Casa residents to use it as a portal for communicating and interacting with other cultures,” says Hanahan, who serves as the director of Casa Hispana. “We figured that, if our students can’t go to them, we’ll bring them to us.”

When Hanahan reached out to TalkAbroad about the idea, the company loved it – and even provided a grant to cover the service.

“Adding TalkAbroad conversations into the schedule for the Casa Hispana was a really unique and exciting idea,” says Todd Nichols, CEO of TalkAbroad. “We’re thrilled to support the experiment, and I can really see the conversations adding a dynamic and unique element to the language immersion experience and the growth of students as global citizens.”

Hispanic Studies Student Focus: May 2019

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A Foreign Language Education major in Spanish (’20), Jessica Lassiter also earned a BS in Exercise Science with a Spanish minor at the College of Charleston in 2017.  Currently she is Assistant Director, Media Manager and Senior Spanish Instructor at WL4K World Languages for Kids; has served as a medical interpreter for three different mission trips to South America; and she is a private Spanish tutor for students at Wando and Philip Simmons High Schools, among other activities.

Jessica believes that a love for languages and culture is vital in education because it provides a lens to see how people besides ourselves live. To be bilingual and multicultural is to have another set of skills in communication with others, and to Jessica that is a beautiful thing.  She is excited to employ the skills and insight that she has gained from her experiences at CofC with her future high school students.

In her own words:

My time in Hispanic Studies has been so empowering and the relationships that I have formed with the faculty in this department have been truly impactful.  After finishing my degree in Exercise Science and Spanish minor in 2017, and then taking a gap year to teach preschool Spanish classes, my professors from this department invested in me and supported my decision to return and finish my Spanish degree after a two-year hiatus while adding on the Foreign Language Education component in 2018.

The professors from this department in my experience are the most willing to help, support, and provide advice to their students out of all of the 3 departments I will be graduating with a degree from. I am proud to call the Hispanic Studies Department my “home” here at The College and am so thankful for the opportunities that I have been provided during my 6 years with them. I couldn’t have made it this far without their guidance, support, and love! Upon graduating, I plan to teach high school Spanish, where I hope to impart the same love and knowledge that my professors have afforded me during my time as a Hispanic Studies student at CofC.

Hispanic Studies’ Student Focus: April 2019

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A double major in Spanish and International Studies with a minor in Linguistics (’19), Jenna McLaughlin is also a member of the National Collegiate Hispanic Honor Society, the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society, and she served as a Spanish Peer Teacher (2016), a CofC Spanish Tutor (2016-17), Secretary for the Special Needs Peer Helper (2015), and Team Captain for Relay for Life (2015), among other activities.  In the spring of 2018 she studied abroad in Seville, Spain, and in 2016 she traveled to Honduras and Mexico to volunteer as a Spanish/English Interpreter with Torch Missions and Campus Church respectively.  Jenna also worked as a Spanish/English Medical Interpreter at Cahaba Valley Healthcare in Birmingham, AL in 2015.

In her own words:

I have thoroughly enjoyed my time as a Spanish Major at CofC. Spanish has always been one of my favorite subjects, and the professors here at the College really helped me refine my skills and feel completely prepared to study abroad in Seville, Spain. Studying abroad is an enjoyable, empowering, and enlightening experience that I would recommend to any younger student, especially those who are interested in learning about language and culture!

One of my favorite parts about being a Spanish major is the freedom it allows me in my post-grad plans. In these past four years as a Spanish major at College of Charleston, I have had the ability to cultivate a skill that I can take with me in all of my future occupations! Coming into college, I had no idea what I wanted to pursue as an occupation, so I’m really thankful that my Spanish major has provided me with the flexibility to take the skill of bilingualism into a variety of areas.

Hispanic Studies’ Student Focus: March 2019

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A double major in German and French with minors in Portuguese and Brazilian Studies and German Studies (’19), George Gabriel is also a Portuguese peer instructor in the Department of Hispanic Studies, an organizer for the German conversation group (Stammtisch), and he was treasurer for both the French Club (2016) and Portuguese Club (2018).  He also studied a semester abroad at the Universidade do Sul de Santa Catarina in Florinaopolis, Brazil (2017), he was awarded a scholarship to study Polish at the Universitaet Viadrina in Frankfurt an der Oder, Germany in 2016, and he is a recipient of a Huguenot Scholarship from the Charleston Huguenot Society.  George has interned in both Brazil (2017) and France (2018), and he is currently a translator for Mercedes-Benz.

In George’s own words:

After graduating from the College of Charleston, I intend to continue constructing a career as an inspiring translator and plan to work for a European institution such as the Translation Centre for the Bodies of the European Union in Luxembourg. As I desire to utilize my knowledge of German and French in addition to Portuguese and Spanish, the European Union functions as an ideal relocation due to its linguistic diversity and constant need for trained, talented translators and interpreters. I currently work as a contracted German-to-English translator at Mercedes-Benz Vans in Ladson, South Carolina, therefore I have the most translation experience in German, but I have researched professionally oriented masters degrees in conference interpretation and translation at the University of Applied Sciences in Zurich, Switzerland, which offers the possibility to become certified translating and interpreting from three languages into a desired target language. I aspire to undertake this program to receive professional training in German, French, Portuguese-to-English conference translation and interpretation to achieve my future career goal of becoming a translator / interpreter certified to work in the EU.

Hispanic Studies’ Student Focus: February 2019

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Alexandra Helfgott, a double major in Spanish and Political  Science (’19), is a Swanson Scholar and a William Aiken Fellow in the Honors College where she has served as an Honors Engaged Liaison for Trident Literacy Association and St. Matthew’s English as a Second Language. On campus she is a Spanish conversation peer teacher; a voting member of the College of Charleston’s Honor Board (2016-present); and past President (2017-18), Chief of Staff (2016-17) and Freshman Senator  (2015-16) of the Student Government Association. In 2018 she was named Outstanding Student of the Year for the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, and she was also inducted into the College of Charleston’s Hall of Leaders. Beyond campus, she spent the fall 2018 semester studying abroad in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and she serves as a medical interpreter with the Asociación Latina de Servicos and the Costa Layman Farms Health Fair in Augusta, Georgia, both of which enable the provision of healthcare services for undocumented, uninsured, and low-income Latinx patients.

In Alexandra’s own words:

My time in Hispanic Studies has been so impactful and the meaningful relationships I’ve developed with professors have proven to be invaluable. I will forever be grateful for their support and encouragement throughout the last four years. Upon graduating, I plan to pursue a joint JD/MPP to work in migrant labor policy where I can employ the skills and knowledge I’ve gained from both my Political Science and Spanish coursework. With the support of my Hispanic Studies faculty and positive experiences within the major, I feel confident in my Spanish skills and look forward to continuing the next chapter my professional life while also pursuing the goal of increased proficiency in Spanish. 

 

The Department of Hispanic Studies Launches “HispaCasts” Series

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The Department of Hispanic Studies is pleased to launch “HispaCasts” with its inaugural podcast episode featuring Madi Crow (’20), a double major in Spanish and International Studies with a Latin American & Caribbean Studies Concentration, and a minor in Linguistics:

http://spanish.cofc.edu/hispacasts/index.php

Hispanic Studies’ Student Focus, November 2018

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James Riggs, a Biology major and a Portuguese and Brazilian Studies Minor (’19), is a First Year Experience Peer Facilitator and Team Leader, Treasurer of the Portuguese Club, Board Member for CougarCon, Vice President of the Catholic Student Association, Founding President of the Doctor Who Club, and accordionist for the College of Charleston Pep Band, among other activities.  His excellence in leadership earned him the college-wide New Student Leader Award in 2016, and for his exemplary performance in the Hispanic Studies’ Portuguese Program, he was awarded the Outstanding Student of Portuguese in 2017.

In James’ own words:

With her first language being Português, my mother was the first in her family born in the USA. Unfortunately, by the time of my interest in our culture, my mother and grandparents were no longer effectively using the language. One of the primary reasons that I chose to become a student at the College of Charleston was the offering of the Portuguese language. Despite being able to transfer my Spanish credits from the International Baccalaureate Program, I chose to instead investigate Portuguese. Dr. Luci and Professor José Moreira were most gracious to my desire to learn the variant spoken in Portugal, often pointing out when there were differences between the Brazilian and European dialects. I conducted Duolingo competitions with my colleagues; I have served as Secretary, President, and now Treasurer for the Portuguese Club, and I have worked as a Peer Facilitator for the Portuguese First Year Experience. I am now even able to conduct conversations with my grandparents, and recently my mother, over the telephone! The more I advanced through the courses, the more I wanted students to be able to minor in Portuguese. I started a petition to demonstrate that other students were also interested. After a long process, the Portuguese and Brazilian Studies minor is now available at the College! The Portuguese minor pairs well with my Biology major due to my focus in Entomology. With Portuguese in my arsenal, I will have the opportunity to explore and work with others in the field from around the world, especially in Brazil where the diversity of insects is exceedingly vast. While I have never gotten to partake in a study abroad, by having studied Portuguese at the College of Charleston I finally will have the opportunity, for I will be leaving the country for my first time to visit Portugal with my family in the summer of 2019!

Hispanic Studies’ Student Focus, September 2018

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Danya Firestone, a double major in Spanish and Foreign Language Education with minors in Linguistics and Anthropology ’19, is also the Linguistics Club President, Honors College Sustainability and Social Justice Cohort Senior Mentor, and an Honors College Student Ambassador.  In addition, Danya is an active member of the Chucktown Trippintones A Cappella group, Otro Sur (the Latin American Music Ensemble), the Jewish Student Union, and the Honors College Scholar-Citizen Initiative.  Despite these numerous activities, she also finds time to collaborate with the Make-A-Wish Foundation of South Carolina as a bilingual translator and wish granting volunteer.

In Danya’s own words:

My experience as a student in the Hispanic Studies department has served an integral role in giving me an amazing experience at CofC. This department is a tight-knit community bonded by a love for the Spanish language, Latinx culture, and Latinx people. Hispanic studies professors really care about their students’ individual success and interests, and the department offers tons of opportunities to get involved with the Spanish-speaking population of Charleston. Because of the department’s connections, I have become involved with the Make-A-Wish Foundation as a bilingual translator and wish granter for the South Carolina chapter of the organization, and a summer intern for the Mid-Atlantic chapter in Washington, D.C.  Because of the Hispanic Studies department’s curriculum and faculty, which emphasize culture and linguistics in addition to literature, I was able to find my passion for Spanish and English linguistics, and I plan to apply to graduate school for that next year, in pursuit of graduate studies that will lead me to one day become a professor. In my final year, I am serving as the Linguistics club president, active in the Spanish club, teaching undergraduate Spanish conversation classes, and bringing a renowned linguist that researches Latinx communities, Dr. Ana Celia Zentella, to campus in October to talk about language discrimination practices. I look forward to what comes after graduation, and know that I have the community of the Hispanic Studies faculty and students supporting me! 

6th Annual Honor Cords Ceremony of CofC’s Chapter of Nat’l Collegiate Hispanic Honor Society

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Sigma Delta Pi Honor Cords Ceremony

On Thursday, May 10, 2018 at 4:00pm, The College of Charleston’s Nu Zeta Chapter of Sigma Delta Pi, the National Collegiate Hispanic Honor Society, held its 6th annual Honor Cords Ceremony for graduating members.  Congratulations to the following students for receiving their honor cords:

Marissa Bamonte
Maitland Barton
Olivia Drabiak
William Foody
Bradley C. Harrison
Jolie Hiers
Edwin Hille
Hannah Huizenga
Erin Hynd
Katelynn Joiner
Erin McBrady
Jessica McGorty
Katherine Murchison
Audrey Owensby
McCathern Painter
Sommer Peterman
Julie Robinson
Madison Sherwood
Margaret Queen
Fred West
Haley Womack