Located in Raleigh, North Carolina, Meredith College is one of the largest women’s colleges in the southeast. Students can choose from more than 90 academic programs. One of the College’s strong academic options is its Spanish major. 

Meredith’s Spanish major includes concentrations in cultural literacy or professional Spanish. The concentrations allow students to choose electives that match their interests and career goals. The professional Spanish concentration includes courses in translation and interpretation, while the cultural literacy option includes classes in film and literature. 

Outside of the classroom, the Spanish program at Meredith offers multiple ways for students to be immersed in the language and the cultures of the Spanish-speaking world. Many Spanish majors and minors choose to study abroad. Through these programs, students can hone their language skills, increase their independence and self-confidence, and experience a Spanish-speaking culture more deeply. 

A popular option is Meredith’s program in Costa Rica, offered every other summer. Students stay with host families and can use their language skills in real-life settings. The Costa Rica program also includes visits to off-the-beaten-path destinations that allow students to experience a different perspective than they find in the suburban program base. 

Study abroad is a strong tradition at Meredith, where 32% of students choose to complete international study, compared to the national average of 9%. 

Beyond Costa Rica, students interested in Spanish can choose to study abroad through an affiliate program. Some study abroad locations from recent years include Argentina, Chile, Guatemala, Peru, and Spain.

“If Costa Rica is not where a student wants to go, Meredith also has study abroad partnerships with organizations in almost every other Spanish-speaking country, allowing students to choose the location that works best for their interests,” said Professor of Practice of Spanish Callie DeBellis. 

In addition, Meredith’s World Languages Travel Award provides financial support for strong students who wish to study abroad. This award is granted annually to one or more outstanding World Languages and Cultures majors or minors to defray recipients’ travel expenses to and from a Meredith-approved program of language study abroad.

Students can immerse themselves in the language even if they don’t leave campus. Meredith’s community-based learning classes and internship placements allow students to work directly with the Spanish-speaking community near Meredith’s campus in the heart of North Carolina’s capital. Students have been placed at nonprofits including the Center for Hispanic Families, Neighbor to Neighbors’ Latino Outreach, the Open Door Clinic run by Urban Ministries, and various clothing ministries. Meredith students have also interned at the Guatemalan Consulate, the Society for Hispanic Professionals, and the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

Many of Meredith’s Spanish majors enter fields where they can use the language to help others. Even if they are not using Spanish on a daily basis, they report that the cultural competency they learned through the immersive elements of Meredith’s Spanish program helps them have more impactful relationships with the people they interact with in their professions. 

In the past 10 years, five Meredith Spanish majors have been chosen for the Fulbright program, working in schools, businesses, and labs in Spanish-speaking countries. Meredith students and alumnae are supported in their Fulbright application process by Associate Professor of Spanish Vilma Concha-Chiaraviglio, who serves as the College’s Fulbright advisor.

Most recently, Aniston Sennett, a May 2025 graduate, was selected for the Fulbright Binational Business Program, which supports internships with Mexican and multinational companies. Sennett will be based in Mexico City for 10 months doing an internship and taking master’s level classes in international business. 

“I will be focused on learning all about Mexican business practices and culture, while making strong connections. I am ecstatic to be speaking Spanish every day and learning more about myself and the people around me,” Sennett said. “I want to build cross-cultural relationships and learn all about Mexican culture while sharing aspects of my own, building bridges of mutual understanding.”

Sennett credits her Meredith faculty for their support of her Fulbright application. “I could not have had a better support system from everyone at Meredith,” Sennett said. “I don’t have enough words to describe how grateful I am to every person who took the time to help me in this long application process.”

Beyond the Spanish major, Meredith College has developed other opportunities to increase cross-cultural understanding and to build connections with Spanish-language partners. 

Meredith recently launched a nursing major, which began enrolling students in Fall 2025. This new major aims to help meet the growing need for healthcare professionals in North Carolina. Meredith’s Spanish program faculty plan to develop a new course in Spanish for Healthcare to support students in the nursing major. 

In 2024, Meredith College became a member of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU). Founded in 1986, HACU is dedicated to Hispanic success in education and is the only national educational association that represents existing and emerging Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI). Meredith was designated as an emerging HSI in 2024, meaning that for two consecutive years, at least 15% of undergraduate students identified as Hispanic/Latina. 

Since 2013, Meredith has offered an En español site that provides information for Spanish-speaking families on admissions, FAFSA, financial aid, student life, and more . Several of Meredith’s Admissions Blog posts are also available in Spanish to guide students and families throughout the college search process. Students in Meredith’s professional Spanish program have assisted in translating this web content.

Additionally, Meredith has partnered with IME Becas (Institute for Mexicans Abroad) for over a decade to award more than $200,500 in grant money to more than 160 students of Mexican origin. With the support of the Government of Mexico, through the Consulate General of Mexico in Raleigh, economic resources are provided to Mexican students currently enrolled in a higher or adult education academic program offered by U.S. non-profit organizations or academic institutions.

“Meredith’s Spanish program gives students skills and awareness that contribute to success in any field,” said Associate Professor of Spanish and Department Chair Kevin Hunt. “We are proud of what we’ve built and how it has benefitted our current and former students.”

About the author
Melyssa Allen is director of public relations at Meredith College, where she manages news, media relations, marketing writing, and social media functions in the Division of Marketing and Communications. She has more than two decades of experience in higher education communication.