Category: Language and International Health

This article originally appeared in The Tiger.

Kevin J. Burke III, Marisol Miranda and Lauren Cvitkovic

As Clemson students, our primary goal is to walk across that stage at graduation knowing that we have made a positive impact on this university, and world, in some capacity. It is an instilled sense of camaraderie and pride that drives this objective into implementation. We live on this third rock from the sun knowing that life, at the present, is finite; it is, therefore, our responsibility to leave this world better for not only our own posterity but for all the children of this world who will come to inherit it. Whether this means aiding developing nations to refine their current infrastructure or establishing economic or healthcare reforms in order to promote growth and safety, every project has the potential to help make the global community better as a whole.

At Clemson, students have the opportunity to serve on research teams through the Creative Inquiry (CI) program. This program is utilized to promote not only research skills among students, but also allowing certain groups get the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of others. One such CI is “Building Healthier Communities in Las Malvinas”. In this project, a group of Clemson students acts as liaisons for the university in the country of the Dominican Republic, specifically in the Las Malvinas community.

The objective of this project is to promote healthier living in the community, recording observational measures to ensure that the community is living under health standards based on “CDC evidence-based protocols.” Students can either serve solely on the research team or have the added opportunity of traveling to the Dominican Republic to aid in the on-the-ground operations behind the project. The students that have represented this project come from a variety of different majors and paths in life, all in the name of trying to bolster the Las Malvinas community in this developing nation.

Ask yourself these questions: Do you want to make a difference in the lives of others? Do you wish to leave a worldly impact while earning three credits towards your degree? Do you want to study abroad while at Clemson? If you answered yes to at least to one of these questions, this is the opportunity for you to accomplish all three. If you are interested in this project, there is both the CI with” Building Healthier Communities in Las Malvinas” in addition to an extracurricular club that has been formed in order to fundraise to further our service efforts. For more information relating to this project opportunity, please contact Dr. Arelis Moore de Peralta at ared@clemson.edu.

Congratulations to Arelis Moore de Peralta, assistant professor of Spanish and Health and the winner of the 2018 Phil and Mary Bradley Award for Mentoring in Creative Inquiry. This award is given to a faculty member in recognition of their outstanding work with undergraduate students. Students participating in Creative Inquiry projects are the nominators for this award.

One of Moore de Peralta’s nominators wrote: “She has taught our CI that anything is possible with the support of each other, and through her support to us, has encouraged and helped her students to present research all across the nation… Dr. Moore has made a significant impact on my personal life. She has taught me how to go into third world countries, and to use community health tools to create a healthier, sustainable, and long-lasting community. She taught me the value of partnership, and that only by creating strong partnerships can a community become long-lasting and flourish. She truly cares about each of her students in a unique and loving way. She provides leadership opportunities for every single one of her students, by making each student in charge of a smaller project, fostering communication and organizational skills in each person. She encourages outreach and the building of partnerships with different organizations on campus, and promotes countless public speaking opportunities by allowing each student to present at conferences locally and nationally. She takes no
credit for her work, but allows each student to shine in their own way.”

Moore de Peralta will be honored at a ceremony on May 8 and receive a monetary award. Read more about her Creative Inquiry project here.

One of the signature offerings in the Department of Languages is the Language and International Health B.S. for those students interested in pursuing health-related careers. This program is jointly administered with the Department of Public Health Sciences in the College of Behavioral, Social and Health Sciences.

The L&IH major pairs a modern language concentration with coursework in public health theory and practice. The language component emphasizes linguistic and cultural proficiency in the target language by studying specific peoples, cultures, literatures, technical language, health environments, and multicultural issues. The public health component includes the history and philosophy of public health and medicine; the organization, management, and financing of health services; and the social and behavioral aspects of health, epidemiology, health evaluation methods, and health communications. Students choose an emphasis area in either Health Administration or Community Development.

Spring 2018 marks the first semester that a French track is available in addition to the Spanish and Chinese tracks. As with the other tracks, L&IH-French students must study abroad for at least one semester and complete an internship in a French-speaking health-care setting. However, any student who has completed intermediate French can also enroll in L&IH-French courses even if they are not pursuing the major.

Lecturer of French Anne-Carole Salces y Nedeo teaches the new French for Health Professionals courses. “Learning a foreign language is not only beneficial to those who want to work abroad,” she says. “Learning a foreign language is opening one’s mind to something new; it’s seeing the world through somebody else’s eyes. This is a priceless skill which has become increasingly necessary to acquire in our modern world. I am glad to see Clemson University taking steps in that direction, by trying to become more internationally oriented, and I am proud to be part of it! I hope to see more and more students seize this opportunity which, without a doubt, will make them better healthcare providers and administrators.”

Language and International Health-Spanish majors Paris Arrington, Sydney Hamby, Anna Longaker, and Adrina Patterson are taking classes and completing their L&IH internships in Seville, Spain. Students had the opportunity to visit the Hospital Universitario de Valme to learn more about the healthcare system in Spain. They met with Rafael Aznar (Director, Center for Diagnostic Imaging), Javier Román (Manager, Clinical Care), and Fausto Rubio (Manager, Radiology) to discuss health services, new programs, and emerging technologies.

Read the press release in Spanish here.

Hi! My name is Elizabeth Simpson, and I am a senior Health Science major with a minor in Spanish. I’ll be graduating in May, and will hopefully be going to graduate school to become an Occupational Therapist. In Spring of 2017, I studied abroad in the Faculty Directed Program to Seville, Spain.

As a Health Science major, I was able to complete courses that counted directly towards my requirements for graduation, such as a course in Hospital Administration and a course in Global Health Services Management. I was also able to complete my Spanish minor, and also take courses that I would not typically have access to here at Clemson, such as a class about Spain’s role in the European Union. Another plus about this program is that I got to live with a Spanish family that was carefully chosen as part of this program. My host family was amazing, and it was great to be able to be a part of a family. My host mom, Menchu, cooked all of our meals and did our laundry. Menchu was also able to answer any questions we had about Seville, or Spain in general. The best part is that all of this was included in the cost of the program that I paid to Clemson!

However, my favorite part of my study abroad experience overall was that I had so many opportunities to travel! Through the program, we took trips to places such as Madrid, Córdoba, Cáceres, and Mérida. One of the professor’s from the program led these trips, and gave us insights and information that we wouldn’t have learned in any other typical tour of these places. We also had excursions to places in Seville, like the Cathedral and the Royal Palace, where again, we learned more from our professor than we could have from a regular tour. Apart from the school trips, I was also able to travel with friends from my program to many different cities in Europe, including Lisbon, Portugal, Edinburgh, Scotland, and Chefchaouen, Morocco.

Though I traveled as often as possible, I always loved returning back to Seville, because it was my favorite city that I visited my whole time abroad. During the spring semester, we had two weeks off from school because of events going on in the city. The first week was for Semana Santa (Holy Week), and it was such an incredible experience. During Semana Santa, there are multiple processions each day leading up to Easter. These processions were incredible to watch. The other break followed two weeks later, and that was for the Seville Fair, which was again an incredible experience. My apartment was right next to the fair grounds, so I was able to go and enjoy the fair almost every day. Everyone dresses up, and many women wear flamenco-style dresses.

I am so happy that I chose this program to study abroad. I was given so many unique opportunities, such as class work that counted towards my major and minor, living with a host family, and also traveling with my program. I was also able to immerse myself in the culture of Seville by attending celebrations for Semana Santa and the Seville Fair, going to watch Flamenco shows, and even participating in a Flamenco dance class. Though certain aspects of studying abroad are difficult, I believe that this program was best because first of all, the directors are always available to help in any way, and second, because it is through Clemson. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions! My email is efsimps@g.clemson.edu.

Dr. Carlos Valencia, Resident Director of the Clemson in Seville Program, talked about the program highlights during his presentation on September 19 and at the Study Abroad Fair on September 20, 2017. Dr. Carlos Valencia received his doctorate in 19th-century Spanish literature from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill before teaching at Wake Forest University and the University of Richmond. Among Carlos’s professional interests are the application of new technology to Spanish language instruction and the incorporation of volunteer work into curriculua as a sociolinguistic and cultural learning tool.

The following students also participated to share their experiences in the Seville Program, Spring 2017: Carine Brown (L&IH), Fatema Bhagat (L&IH), Sarah Burton (L&IT), Kylie Cash (L&IT), Sean Cosh (Minor in Spanish), Kate Czerkawski (L&IH), Catie Silva (L&IH), Marina Velo (L&IH), and Melissa Williams (L&IH). The students talked about classes, trips, business and health internships, group projects, and how the professors abroad helped them to reach their goals in education. The International Spanish Program and Internships in Seville, Spain is a unique program designed for students in Modern Languages-Spanish, Language and International Health, Language and International Trade, and a minor in Spanish. Those who wish to embark on this journey are rewarded with the chance of a lifetime to explore Spanish culture and to experience working in a number of different business and healthcare environments. For more information, please contact Dr. Graciela Tissera, Program Director (gtisser@clemson.edu).

According to a recent media release, Clemson University selected eight students for the 2017 National Scholars Program, the university’s most selective academic merit program.

The eight are an extraordinarily gifted group. Beyond the remarkable academic records they present — an average SAT of more than 1530 and high school class rank in the top 1 percent — these Scholars are a diverse and talented group of researchers, musicians, athletes and community servants.

Two of the incoming National Scholars plan to pursue degrees in the Department of Languages:

Breauna Franklin, South Fayette Township High School, McDonald, Pennsylvania
Franklin has been an active member of her varsity swim team and has served as captain for the past two years. She is also involved in Teen Institute, a mentoring program aiming to facilitate healthy discourse with middle school students. The past few summers, she has interned for the Opportunity Education Foundation creating an app to be distributed in pilot schools around the globe as well as the HerLead Conference. She has participated in a study-abroad program in Chile and the Frank Bolden Urban Journalism Workshop, a journalism course that has enabled her to publish articles on a variety of issues in the Pittsburgh area. Franklin is the daughter of Tammy and Norman Franklin and is planning to study Language and International Health with a concentration in Spanish.

Jacob Sargent, South Carolina Governor’s School for Science and Mathematics, Hartsville
Sargent served as Student Council president during his senior year at the Governor’s School for Science and Mathematics. He was the recipient of the Gold Award on the National German Exam and studied German language in Kulmbach, Germany, between his sophomore and junior years. He researched computer science for six weeks in Kaiserslautern, Germany, at the Fraunhofer Institute for Experimental Software Engineering. Additionally, he played varsity soccer as a goalkeeper and defender throughout high school. Sargent is the son of Thomas Sargent and Heather Sargent and plans to pursue a Language and International Trade major with a German concentration, along with a minor in another foreign language.

The following Department of Languages students were honored at the 2016-2017 College of Architecture, Arts and Humanities (CAAH) Honors and Awards Ceremony on April 7 in the Brooks Center Theatre. Congratulations!

See all the photos from the event here.

AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE

Linda Wilson – Gallaudet/Clerc Award for Excellence in American Sign Language

The award is given to a student who has demonstrated outstanding expressive and receptive skills in American Sign Language, understanding and appreciation of deaf culture, and has promoted the awareness of American Sign Language both on and off campus.

CHINESE

David Kwietniewski (beginner) & Hilda Chan (achievement) – Clemson Chinese Laoshi Awards

Two students from the Chinese language program receive prizes in the amounts of $100 (Best Beginner in Chinese Language Study) and $200 (Best Achievement in the Chinese Program).

Olivia Haddad & Donald McKinnon Reece – Pacific Gateway Award for Excellence in Chinese

The Pacific Gateway Capital LLC contributes an annual award of merit with a cash prize to a junior or senior for outstanding achievement in the study of the Chinese language.

FRENCH

Joseph Willis – American Association of Teachers French Award

The French faculty of the Department of Languages annually awards a medal from the American Association of the Teachers of French and a certificate of merit in recognition of outstanding achievement in the study of French language and literature.

Danielle Ayer – Jordan Dean Award in French

This award is given to a student in French studies for outstanding academic achievement.

GERMAN

Melissa Manning – Clemson University German Club Award

The German Club presents a certificate to recognize outstanding contributions to the extra-curricular cultural programs in German at Clemson.

Sarah Waldvogel – Draexlmaier Language Award

Funded by DAA Draexlmaier Automotive of America (Duncan, SC), this cash award recognizes a multi-faceted student who has attained exceptional language proficiency in German.

ITALIAN

Sarah Marshall – Coccia Foundation Annual Award

The Italian faculty annually presents this cash award to an Italian major in recognition of outstanding achievement in the study of Italian language and literature.

SPANISH

Nicholas M. West – American Association of Teachers Spanish & Portuguese Award

The Spanish faculty presents a medal from the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and a certificate to recognize outstanding achievement in the study of Spanish language and literature.

LANGUAGE AND INTERNATIONAL HEALTH

Rebecca Lynn McConnell – Language and International Health Academic Honor Award

The Language and International Health Society gives this award to a Language and International Health major who demonstrates ability to perform, achieve, and excel in scholastic activities.

Emily W. Blackshire – Language and International Health Award of Excellence

The award is given to a senior Language and International Health major for outstanding academic achievements, professional conduct, and unconditional service to multicultural communities.

Elouise Giroux Cram & Michelle Fuentes – Language and International Health Award of Excellence in Research

The award is given to a Language and International Health major for outstanding academic research on international health topics.

LANGUAGE AND INTERNATIONAL TRADE

Caroline Rubino – The John Bednar Award of Excellence in French and International Trade

The Language and International Trade – French faculty annually awards a Language and International Trade – French student in recognition of outstanding achievement in the study of French and international trade.

Caroline Winbleton – Dr. Wannamaker Languages & International Trade Annual Award of Excellence

The purpose of the fund is to honor an outstanding senior majoring in Language and International Trade who has the highest overall GPA. In case of a tie, the selection is based on meritorious service to the department.

Language and International Health (L&IH) students Elouise Cram and Rebecca McConnell attended the Southwest Popular/American Culture Association’s 38th Annual Conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico (February 15-18, 2017) to present their research and participate in the panel organized by Dr. Graciela Tissera: Adapting Philosophers to Film. Elouise discussed the film adaptation of Gabriel García Márquez’s short story “The Saint” and Rebecca presented the cinematic interpretation of the novel Aura by Carlos Fuentes.

Clemson ranks 16th in the nation in the number of African American undergraduate students earning a foreign language degree in 2016, according to Diverse: Issues in Higher Education. Clemson ranked 19th in 2015 and 35th in 2013. Since 2010, the magazine has published rankings of the top 100 institutions that confer the most degrees to minority students. The data are based on institutional reports collected by the U.S. Department of Education.

The Department of Languages offers undergraduate degrees in Modern Languages, Language and International Health (L&IH), and Language and International Trade (L&IT). According to the rankings, African American students account for 10% of all language degree recipients at Clemson, a higher percentage than in any other discipline at the university.