HISP Student Focus, April 2024: Mr. Kit Fischer

HISP Student Focus, April 2024: Mr. Kit Fischer

Hispanic Studies is more than proud to feature Mr. Kit Fischer as its Student Focus for April 2024.

Yet another example that one can major in Spanish while simultaneously doing a primary course of study in another field, Kit Fischer finds himself in his third year at the College of Charleston with a major focus in Spanish as well as one in Secondary Education, whilst at the same time having participated in many of the signature cultural experiences that Hispanic Studies has to offer—namely, its spring program in Trujillo, Spain and the Casa Hispana living-learning community, where he resided during the 2022-2023 academic year. Beyond this, Mr. Fischer has been able to combine interests pedagogical and linguistic, lending his considerable talents as a Spanish tutor to the Center for Student Learning.

Of course, as has been repeatedly shown in HISP Student Foci, Hispanic Studies’ majors and minors have diverse interests and impressive accomplishments in other areas, with Mr. Fischer being no exception. Take, for example, his serving as cohort lead within the SC Teaching Fellow program, as well such artistic endeavors as his membership in the Charleston Vibes acapella group and his performances with theater productions such as the CofC student group, Center Stage’s representation of Deathtrap and his role in Two Gentleman of Verona, also a CofC theater production.

In his own words…

“Studying Spanish at the College of Charleston has been a life-changing experience for me. I have met so many professors and fellow students who share the same passion for the language that I do. Some of my classmates in my HISP classes have turned into life-long friends.

The Hispanic Studies department feels like my safe space because all the professors I have met are supportive of my goals as a college student and my ambitions after graduation. I have also had the opportunity to study abroad in Trujillo, Spain, an experience that I will cherish for a long time. Not only did I increase my confidence in speaking Spanish with native speakers, but I also tried new foods, traveled to new places, and immersed myself in a culture unfamiliar to me. My Trujillo experience has also served me in the classroom back home, as my knowledge of Spanish culture scaffolds my learning of peninsular literature and history.

Along the way in my studies, I also developed an appreciation for linguistics. Through my Spanish linguistics classes, I have gained a better understanding of how the Spanish language works as a system of rules, something which is sure to benefit me once I enter the field as a Spanish teacher.

 As I wrap up my junior year and my Spanish degree, I have been reminiscing on my time as a student of Hispanic Studies. I know that the experiences I have had and the people I have met, along with the knowledge I have gained, will serve me in my post-graduation life, both as a professional using Spanish in the workplace and as a person living in a culture with an immense Hispanic influence.”