Hear from some of our Spanish Majors and Minors
For more information on our Spanish programs, and for any questions you have about delcaring a major in Spanish, please contact us at HISP@cofc.edu.
Lydia Mahan
"I started my Spanish journey with no prior experience – no Spanish classes taken in high school and no Spanish speaking family members growing up. Although completing this second degree with the goal of effectively communicating with Spanish speakers was daunting, I have done it and continue to work on my Spanish skills daily. Becoming a Spanish major has not only opened doors for me academically and professionally, it has also given me lifelong friendships and memories that I will cherish forever. I was lucky to study abroad in a beautiful town known as Trujillo, Spain. There, I was able to immerse myself in their rich culture while getting to know amazing individuals and practicing my Spanish. I ate jamón ibérico and tapas. I sat around the dinner table with my host family talking and laughing while gaining strong linguistic and cultural knowledge. While abroad, I was also able to travel throughout Europe. The College of Charleston’s Spanish department is full of the most caring professors who will push you, but who are always there for you. I can genuinely say that being a Spanish major has changed my life. If you are on the edge of whether to major in Spanish or not, take the dive like I did. I am going to miss practicing my Spanish through literature, history, and discussions in the classroom; but I feel prepared and confident to utilize this skill in my professional and personal life ahead."
Emma Appleman
"Being a Spanish major has not only opened up opportunities for me, but also granted me experiences and friendships I otherwise would not have made. The Spanish major group is a small community of bright people looking to help one another and learn, which is part of the reason I decided to continue with the major instead of dropping to a minor. While I am not a native speaker, I always feel supported. Furthermore, it is clear that my professors and classmates motivate one another to succeed. I have always found that learning a second language can have a positive impact with opportunities and connecting with more people, but the personnel within the Spanish major is the main reason I have pursued this degree. The people make me look forward to my classes and encourage me to improve my understanding. I am grateful for the people I have met from my classes and am excited to graduate with the experiences that come with this degree."
Mauricio Moreno García
"My name is Mauricio Moreno Garcia, and I am pursuing a double major in Spanish and Psychology, with a minor in Latin American and Caribbean Studies. I began my academic journey at the College of Charleston as a Psychology major without the intention of adding a second major. Initially, I lacked confidence in my Spanish language skills and was unaware of the significant opportunities that a Spanish degree could offer, especially in the health field. As someone driven to become an occupational therapist, fluency in Spanish is essential to my goal of serving Hispanic/Latino communities—a demographic that comprises less than 6% of occupational therapists. My perspective changed when I took the course Topics in Peninsular Studies, where I met Dr. Rodriguez-Sabater, an amazing professor in the department. Her mentorship and encouragement motivated me to refine my Spanish skills and consider it as a minor. During my first semester as a Spanish minor, I became deeply familiar with the department’s culture and supportive environment. The faculty’s dedication to their students’ success is exceptional; their passion for teaching and commitment to student growth inspired me to expand my studies and declare Spanish as a second major. Being a Spanish major has provided me with a wealth of opportunities, including serving as a peer educator in Spanish, interning at the Halsey Museum, and participating in an extraordinary study abroad program in Cuba—an experience that few institutions in the United States offer and one that profoundly broadened my worldview. Today, I am proud of the progress I have made and the passion I have developed for the Spanish language. My confidence in my Spanish-speaking abilities has grown significantly, thanks to the dedicated faculty in the Spanish department. I am eager to continue advancing my proficiency and applying my skills in the future."
Brooke Cameron
"I became a Spanish minor because I love learning the language and feel that it's important to be able to connect with people that I share this world with. When I studied abroad in Argentina, I made friends who don't share the same first language as me and I got to learn about and experience their culture. In addition, I was able to confidently travel knowing that I could navigate the language well. My experience abroad would not have been the same had I not known Spanish. Spanish will continue to add a lot of value to my life through the friends I will be able to make, the places it will take me, and by being a valuable asset to my career."
Kate Stone
“Being a double - major in finance and Spanish has been exceedingly beneficial to my academic, professional, and social development. This past summer I had a corporate FP&A internship where I was specifically selected and paid more because I could speak both English and Spanish. I was able to meet with financial professionals from Spain and Mexico to help them create financial statements every quarter for the company. Because I am bilingual, I was allowed more rotations throughout, and I was able to be paid more. This past semester at the College I was able to use my Spanish speaking skills to network and grow my professional relationships. Being able to speak both Spanish and English has not only grown my professional and academic networks but has also allowed me to grow in a cultural sense where I am able to connect with coworkers and other financial professionals that I would not have been able to without the background I gained from being a Spanish major.”
Eliana Abbriano
"My name is Eliana Abbriano and I am a senior at the college. I knew I wanted to be a Spanish major before I started college because I have a deep love and passion for language and linguistics (which is my minor and a minor I recommend to everyone majoring in Spanish). Throughout my time at CofC, I have fallen more in love with Spanish and Spanish courses and that is due to the amazing professors I have had along the way. I have had the privilege to learn from some of the smartest people I have ever met who have also made me feel safe and have given me a great environment to learn in. During my junior year, I studied abroad in Trujillo, Spain where professors from the Spanish Department came to teach us and guide us throughout our experience. Those months were life changing for me and I am forever grateful for that experience which gave me knowledge and a new perspective on life. The Spanish department has given me so many lifelong friends and it has given me the opportunity to learn about language in diverse and interesting easy. I am so grateful that I chose to be a Spanish major, and I am even more grateful that I have had the chance to meet amazing human beings along the way."
Gisele Gary
Being a part of the Portuguese and Brazilian Studies program at CofC has changed my life and positively impacted my college experience. The environment this department has fostered is so comforting, welcoming, understanding, and motivating academically and socially. Studying Portuguese in class was such a gift as there are very few opportunities to learn Portuguese in the US, and having a community with me during this learning experience was wonderful. My mother is Brazilian, and my only opportunities to speak were with her and with family. being able to practice my Portuguese outside of my home life was life changing because I got to learn so much! The best part about studying Portuguese for me was studying abroad in Brazil during the summer program. The memories from this experience are so enriching and I am so grateful that I got to explore Salvador and Rio de Janeiro with the program. Brazil's views were gorgeous, and the cultural experience was very welcoming. Studying Portuguese and immersing myself in the culture with a minor has been one of my favorite experiences at CofC, this program and the courses I've taken have been essential to developing my understanding of the world.