Hispanic Studies Student Focus, September 2023: Mauricio Moreno García
With the start of another academic year, HISP is truly fortunate to be able to resume its Student Focus series. For the month of September, the feature is Mr. Mauricio García Moreno.
A double major in both Spanish and Psychology, Mauricio has fully embraced a number of meaningful roles and opportunities since arriving at the College of Charleston—just a few examples of these roles being his work with Multicultural Student Programs and Services (MSPS) as a Spectra leader, as well as his considerable contributions to HISP’s Spanish Conversation Class program as a Student Peer Educator.
Beyond all of this, Mr. Moreno García both forms an integral part of and serves as an enthusiastic promoter of Hispanic Studies’ Spanish as a Heritage Language Distinction program, in addition to belonging to the ever-active and dynamic Hispanic Latino Club at CofC.
While so much more could be said about the many ways in which Mauricio contributes to the Hispanic Studies Department, in particular, and to the institution of the College, in general, let it suffice to say that both are fortunate for his decision to join our campus community.
In his own words…
“When I initially entered college, my sole intention was to pursue a psychology major, and I had little interest in enhancing my proficiency in Spanish. However, a transformative shift occurred when I enrolled in a humanities course taught by Dr. Rodriguez Sabater. Although the class was conducted entirely in English, I couldn’t help but recognize my struggle to keep up with my Spanish language skills. This realization prompted me to take up a course in “Spanish as a Heritage Speaker,” which provided a platform for interaction with fellow Spanish speakers sharing similar proficiency levels. Witnessing that my struggle was not unique fueled my motivation.
Moreover, the course exposed me to a community of individuals who aspired to enhance their Spanish skills to better engage with the Latino/Hispanic community within their respective fields. This experience shed light on the scarcity of Spanish speakers and representation within the occupational therapy sector. With the guidance of Dr. Rodriguez Sabater, I decided to pursue a minor in Spanish. As my involvement deepened within the Spanish department, including my collaboration with SHLD and my role as a peer educator for Spanish, my passion for learning the language flourished. This enthusiasm led me to make the decision to declare Spanish as a major alongside my psychology major.
The department provided me not only with a supportive community but also exceptional mentors like Dr. Rodriguez Sabater and Dr. Fredricks, who consistently encouraged me to strive for excellence. I am excited to be part of this academic journey and to be studying something that truly ignites my passion. The presence of these outstanding mentors assures me that I have a reliable source of guidance as I continue to progress.”