Stories

Spanish Studies minors Lily Wilshire ‘24 (Political Sciences, Sociology) and Sam Curran ‘24 (Finance) are currently working on a Coffee Trade and Immigration exhibit that will be displayed on campus on May 6, 2024. This exhibit is part of Sam and Lily’s joint senior thesis for the University Honors Program and is inspired by their experience in Chiapas, Mexico where they went last summer on an immersion through the Ignatian Center. This exhibit illustrates the far-reaching impacts of global trade policies such as NAFTA and the USMTA and how they impact global migration patterns. The exhibit also explores the implications of the free trade coffee market and how farmers and indigenous workers are often cut out of profits. For this project Sam and Lily relied on what they had learned on their immersion where they visited a collective of indigenous coffee farmers called Capeltic. Capeltic works to provide microfinancing for small-scale coffee farmers and also provides a price floor for coffee sales. These policies aim to prevent seasonal migration within Mexico for higher paying jobs in more dangerous locations closer to the border in Maquiladoras.

Sam Curran has volunteered in the past at the Kino Border Initiative in Nogales, taught English as a second language in Portland, participated in an exchange program in Valencia, Spain, and in the fall of 2022 studied abroad in San Sebastian, Spain. Sam says “Spanish is something that I never expected to love learning about as much as I have. I decided to go on the exchange program and stay with a family in Valencia after only two years of studying Spanish. I really struggled during the trip but I also unlocked a new interest and new area to pursue. My time at Santa Clara along with my experience at Kino has broadened my interest from just language to learning about the complex dynamics and relationships between political policy, history, and language in Spanish-speaking countries, particularly in Latin America. I have really enjoyed all my classes here, particularly those with Professor José Ortigas learning about colonist history, art history, and the modern challenges in some of these countries.”

Lily Wilshire studied abroad in Barcelona, Spain in fall 2022 where she studied Spanish and European media and politics. In 2019 she graduated high school early to study Spanish in Malaga, Spain. Additionally, in high school, she spent two summers living and volunteering at an orphanage in Tijuana, Mexico where she worked in the secondary elementary school. Reflecting on her time as a Spanish Studies minor at SCU, Lily says “I have loved my Spanish journey at SCU. Through my travels and studies prior to SCU, I developed a strong passion for Spanish as well as a very informal ability to speak and understand it. However, my grammar needed a lot of work and my classes at SCU helped me with this immensely. Additionally, I learned so much about Spanish culture, immigration, and literature. I have enjoyed all my classes at Santa Clara, particularly those with Professor Ortigas and Professor Schindewolf. I look forward to continuing to expand my Spanish-speaking ability in the future.”