Carroll Hispanic Studies & Languages Newsletter - Spring 2025
Program Revisions
One of the most significant changes in recent years has been the transformation of our Spanish program into the Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzín Program in Hispanic Studies & Languages. By adopting Saint Juan Diego as our namesake, we honor his legacy of humility, empathy, and service—values that inspire us to find our own voices and advocate for those who may not have one. And when our students prepare for graduation, they are presented with an embroidered rose to wear on their graduation caps as a reminder of Juan Diego’s story; that roses can bloom even in winter, and they are part of Juan Diego’s miracle here in Helena, Montana. We endearingly call our graduates juandieguistas.
This narrative shift reflects a broader cultural studies approach to engaging with the Hispanic world, while still grounding students in language education and embracing the rich linguistic, cultural, and literary traditions of Spain, Latin America, and U.S. Latino communities. A prime example of this interdisciplinary engagement was Dr. Hallows’ advanced course offered last fall semester on Pope Francis’s Laudato Si’ encyclical (2015), which explored Latin American eco-criticism through literature and documentary film. The course was met with enthusiastic student participation and proved to be a resounding success.
In addition, and in response to both academic and community needs, we are excited to announce that we have launched an undergraduate minor in Spanish for Health Professions, led by Dr. Sergio Restrepo-Mesa. This interdisciplinary program blends a liberal arts and humanities framework with a focus on culturally competent healthcare. The minor introduces three new courses: SP 320 – Language and Healing: A Cultural Exploration of Hispanic Experiences, SP 321 – Cultivating Compassion: A Hispanic Approach to Human-Centered Health Professions, and SP 322 – Communicating Care: Spanish Translation and Interpretation for Health Professions.
We recognize that work and service in the hea
lth professions require not only technical expertise, but also the ability to interpret patient narratives, communicate informed diagnoses, and understand the complexities of diverse cultural experiences. These new courses equip students with the skills to analyze and dialogue with texts and films on health, illness, and death, fostering critical thinking and the ability to successfully navigate ambiguity and discomfort when participating in complex health situations. By engaging with these materials, students develop the cultural and ethical literacy essential for providing compassionate, patient-centered care–and are able to do so in Spanish or English.
We are excited about the work we are doing and are continually inspired by the students who enroll in our Hispanic Studies & Languages program. Their curiosity, passion for learning, and commitment to making a difference in the world embody the very spirit of what we do. Guided by Carroll’s motto, “Not for school, but for life,” we know that wherever their paths take them after graduation, they will embody the juandieguista spirit.
Study Abroad
This year, seven students accompanied Dr. Ryan Hallows for a five-week cultural immersion experience in Spain. Offered to Carroll students on an every-other-year basis, the goal of this program is to immerse students in a community that isn’t their own and teach them to independently navigate day-to-day living in a foreign country. They participated in daily classes focused on experiential learning and explored the ancient and modern landscapes that make Spain unique. Class discussions, held in Spanish, covered a wide range of topics from Phoenician, Greek and Roman mythology leading to the founding of Seville, to bullfighting, dictatorships, healthcare, gender politics, poetry, the Catholic Church, flamenco, and of course, food. Students lived with homestay families, and as a result of 24-7 immersion, they impressively honed their Spanish language skills and confidence using a foreign language in real-world settings.
“Since returning from our study abroad experience, whenever someone asks me, 'how was it?' I just look at them completely speechless. I have no words to explain how incredible the five weeks we spent in Spain had been. We had an incredible group and spent our time exploring new cities, trying new foods, and really attempting to throw ourselves into Spanish culture. Although we spent our time studying Spanish culture and language, I will never forget the inside jokes, the late night philosophical conversations, and the relationships that were strengthened on our trip. We learned endless facts and information about everywhere we visited, but I’ll never forget the biggest lesson—to slow down. Spanish time is a very real concept, and it forced us to take our time and not worry or rush through what we were doing. The study abroad program in Seville is a great experience to build your Spanish language skills especially, but to learn more about the world itself, and how different cultures live.”
~ Alex Neupert, Health Sciences and Hispanic Studies double major
The group visited dozens of chapels, churches, cathedrals, mosques and synagogues, including the Cathedral in Seville – the largest Gothic church in the world – and the Great Mosque in Córdoba. They studied the history of the Roman Empire and visited Roman ruins in Itálica and Bolonia and explored the conflict and confluence of the 800 year “reconquista'' among Cristians, Jews, and Moors. The itinerary included the 9th century palace complex of Medina Azahara outside Córdoba, the Alcázar in Seville and the Alhambra in Granada, as well as various other palaces and museums in Madrid, Toledo, Córdoba, Granada and Seville. It wasn't all academics, though; students enjoyed beach time in Cadiz and Bolonia overlooking the view of Gebel Musa standing proudly across the Straits of Gibraltar in Morocco. The group also participated in various Corpus Christi festivities and processions in Seville, enjoyed cooking classes, attended a flamenco performance, and some even went to a bullfight!
“I think everyone should study abroad if they have the chance. I never had the opportunity to travel outside the U.S. before, so even if you are intimidated at first, the faculty and fellow students make it a safe environment to step outside of your comfort zone, and the programs Carroll connects with in another country do an excellent job of taking care of the logistics of travel and reservations, so the students’ emphasis can be placed on learning and forging relationships. You will come away from this time abroad with new and firm friendships, an awakened sense of adventure, and for me at least, the confidence that you can, in fact, do anything you set your heart and mind to so long as you stay open and value connection with others.”
~ Lily Hoelscher, Theater and Hispanic Studies double major
We have already begun preparations for the next immersion experience and look forward to another adventure with our students in 2026 in collaboration with the Pontificia Universidad Católica in Ponce, Puerto Rico, focused on Health Professions in Latin America.
“I think that students should study abroad because it’s the opportunity of a lifetime. I doubt there will be another chance for me to spend a month in a different country with a homestay and with the support of a professor and group of students. Not to mention, doing all of the excursions would be practically impossible to do if you did a trip like that on your own. It is truly a unique experience that I can’t recommend more.”
~ Peter Fiocchi, Business Management and Marketing, Business Accounting and Strategic Finance major, Hispanic Studies minor, and Catholic Studies minor
Faculty Accomplishments
Dr. Hallows spent the Spring 2024 semester on sabbatical. He traveled to Puerto Rico to begin establishing a relationship with the Pontificia Universidad Católica in Ponce, Puerto Rico (PUCPR) so that we can build an immersion experience for students unique to Carroll College and focused on supporting our new Spanish for Health Professions minor.
While in Puerto Rico, Dr. Hallows was invited by the PUCPR to present his research, “El Peronismo y la metamorfosis de la imagen literaria del gaucho argentino en el siglo XX.” For this presentation, Dr. Hallows shared his interpretation of Casa Tomada by Julio Cortázar as a critique of social change in mid-20th century Argentina. Then, introduced an interpretation of the short story Cabecita Negra by Germán Rozenmacher as a response to both Cortázar and Peronism. He posited that these two stories play with the idea of the invasion of public and private spaces and who has the right to belong in these places; an engaging conversation which is ultimately about identity and the national concern of determining who is “truly” Argentine and who is not. These ideas reflect on and inform important contemporary discussions in the US politico-cultural sphere about national identity and belonging.
After a three month stay in Puerto Rico, Dr. Hallows traveled to Spain as a Visiting Research Fellow at the Universidad de León and spent a month digging through books in their library associated with the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage going back to the Codex Calixtinus from the 12th century. Carroll students, and alumni have asked for years to participate in a pilgrimage in northern Spain, and Dr. Hallows began early preparations for a possible future trip.
In January this year, as the Rocky Mountain region’s congressional representative, Dr. Hallows participated in the Modern Language Association annual convention and member congress in New Orleans, Louisiana. This was his third year in the elected position advocating for academic freedom and representation of small, rural liberal arts colleges.
As part of his current research on the political potential of art and the immunological mechanisms of Capitalism, Dr. Sergio Restrepo-Mesa co-organized the conference panel The Digitalization of Affects in Post-Crisis Times for the 121st Annual Conference of the Pacific Ancient and Modern Language Association, which took place in November 2024 in Palm Springs, California. In this panel, focused on Spanish language texts and films that responded to traumatic events such as the September 11 attacks, the global financial crisis, and the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Restrepo-Mesa delivered the conference presentation “J Balvin, Immune Logic, and Double Affective Flow: Social Media in The Boy from Medellin, by Matthew Heineman.” In his delivery, Dr. Restrepo-Mesa revealed how The Boy from Medellin explores the way in which social media, one of the secondary devices that form part of the immune logic of Capitalism, acts against the systemic defense mechanisms within which it is embedded and which aim to preserve a supposed political neutrality as a capitalist method of self-protection as an economic system.
Alumni Spotlight
Since graduation in 2017, Carlos moved to Denver where he currently lives with his girlfriend Danielle and their two pets. Over the last five years he’s worked at DaVita, a kidney care provider, and over the last three, as a Sr. Compliance Analyst mitigating Anti-Kickback risk (AKS) in their Hospital Services Group (HSG) and Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNFs) space.
“My capstone project in Ecuador, which focused on understanding the local health care system, really opened my eyes to the business side of medicine and has served as a strong foundation for my current role and direction post college.”
~ Carlos O'Leary '17, Biology and Spanish double major