News

By Jacob Westveer

The Spanish program at Lee University has experienced significant growth in recent years, adding students continually and working to expand opportunities for school trips abroad and work opportunities for its alumni network.

Despite a nationwide decrease in Spanish majors, Lee University’s Spanish program enrollment continues to increase. Research by the Modern Language Association shows Spanish majors in the U.S. dropped by 17 percent from 2009 to 2016, while at Lee, the number of students involved with Spanish has continued to expand, with 50 majors and 50 minors already a part of the program and 16 additional students declaring majors in fall 2019.

“Much of the interest is generated by our amazing faculty who go above and beyond the demands of the classroom to offer exciting opportunities for our students here and internationally,” said Dr. Donna Summerlin, chair of the Department of Language and Literature. “Students experience events that are fun and culturally enriching while building a strong sense of community for the program. It’s thrilling to see so many of our students recognizing the importance of learning a language well so that they can be better equipped to live, work, and serve in a global society.”

The Spanish program, which is a part of Lee’s Department of Language and Literature, has incorporated ways for students to spend time visiting and experiencing life in a Spanish-speaking culture. Spanish majors are required to study abroad as part of their degree. Summer trips to Colombia and Ecuador are offered or students can arrange their own study trips to universities across Latin America and Spain as well.

“Our Ecuador and Colombia trips are amazing opportunities for students to learn language and experience the culture simultaneously,” said Summerlin.

The summer trip to Colombia has amplified in popularity, growing from 13 students in 2015 to 24 students in 2019.

“Everyone involved with the program works diligently to help students experience not just the language, but the culture and the academic opportunities,” said Dr. Alexander Steffanell, associate professor of Spanish at Lee.

The professors and students in the program focus on Spanish not just as another skill, but as an opening to a new world of possibilities. Faculty commonly emphasize that studying Spanish brings not only a new culture to explore, but a range of new scholastic and professional opportunities that otherwise would not be available.

“These students are more than just faces to me,” said Steffanell. “This program is a family, and we are committed to seeing them succeed.”

Lee hosts many events both on and off campus for Spanish students to learn, practice, and share their knowledge. Every spring semester Lee hosts the Latin American and Iberian Studies Undergraduate Conference, inviting students from colleges around the region to present and learn.

The program also takes language field trips to other colleges such as Emory University for students and faculty to attend conferences.

According to Dr. Sara Ortega-Higgs, professor of Spanish and French, the goal is to help students integrate meaning and life purpose with their language learning experience, and this has been a key factor in the Spanish program’s success.

“We work toward that goal from the elementary levels by providing as many opportunities of interaction and service as possible with and to the Hispanic community locally –and later overseas,” said Ortega-Higgs. “We also invite speakers to our classrooms who are currently using the language they learned with us in their businesses, schools, jobs, and different ministries.”

Faculty members also commonly host “fiestas” at their houses for students to hang out and interact with each other outside of class.

Additionally, the Spanish program sponsors Leetinos, a club on campus dedicated to celebrating diversity, culture, and heritage. According to club sponsor Dr. José Minay, the club is open to all students regardless of background or major. Leetinos meets every Wednesday night and holds a variety of events on campus, ranging from heritage presentations by students and sharing culture and community with each other. Leetinos also partners with other clubs in the Diversity Council to host events throughout the semester.

Lee University has recently added 13 new members to the Spanish Language Honor Society this past year, an honor society focused on Spanish language excellence in higher education and promoting a continuity of interest in Spanish studies.

“The faculty in our program realize that speaking another language can benefit anyone regardless of their career,” said Caiden Weber, junior Spanish major. “There is such a need for bilingual professionals in all fields, so a Spanish program that’s as flexible and inclusive as ours is an invaluable asset.”

After Lee, Spanish majors have gone on to many different fields. Several Lee Spanish alumni are studying in master’s and doctoral programs around the country like Emory, Florida, and the University of Kansas. Other former students work around the world and continue to use what they’ve learned to better themselves and the world around them.

“Currently I am a teacher for refugee youth from Central America,” says Jill Elizabeth, a Lee alumna. “I’ve also spent time helping and learning in Chile, Nicaragua, and Mexico. My Spanish education has opened doors I never imagined would be available to me.”

Jessica Whitter Hanson, a 2006 alumna and recipient of the 2019 Department of Language and Literature’s Alum of the Year award, earned a double major in Spanish language and communications, with an emphasis in journalism, and now directs the Casa Shalom Orphanage ministry with her husband, who is also a Lee graduate.

“Jessica exemplifies our department mission,” said Ortega-Higgs. “We are proud to send forth students who not only are highly prepared to thrive in the academic and/or the professional fields, but who also find an enduring frame of meaning and purpose for their life within their language learning.”

The Spanish program at Lee is a part of the Department of Language and Literature and offers a major and minor in Spanish as well as a minor in Latin American Studies. Its goal is to prepare students for graduate work in the target language or for work in a variety of careers, including political science, business, and academia.

“These former students and community members are changing the world one person at a time, because they decided to learn a second language,” said Ortega-Higgs. “It is a powerful testimony to the next generation of students that it can be done. Once our students believe they can learn the language, and see the potential this learning process carries within, nothing seems impossible.”

For more information on Lee’s Spanish program, contact the Department of Language and Literature at (423) 614-8210 or email [email protected].