BROWNWOOD, Texas — Howard Payne University is presenting Spanish-language study and Hispanic cultural understanding as practical preparation for students entering professions that serve increasingly bilingual and multicultural communities.
The university’s Department of Spanish and Hispanic Studies offers a Spanish minor that can be paired with any of Howard Payne’s major areas of study. The program is designed not only to develop language ability but also to help students understand the cultural experiences and traditions of the people they may encounter in their future workplaces.
According to the university, those skills may be particularly valuable as Spanish-speaking populations grow in Texas and across the United States. Depending on a student’s career plans, Spanish proficiency and cultural knowledge could influence the student’s search for employment.
Spanish minor extends across Howard Payne’s academic programs
Dr. Danny Brunette-López, professor of Spanish and chair of the Department of Spanish, said the minor can support students preparing for a wide range of careers. The areas identified by the department include health care, ministry, education, business, social work and criminal justice.
“Whether pursuing careers in health care, ministry, education, business, social work or criminal justice, students can develop the ability to communicate more effectively with Spanish-speaking communities,” said Dr. Brunette-López.
Brunette-López said the coursework goes beyond vocabulary and grammar. Students also develop cultural awareness, critical-thinking skills and the ability to communicate across language barriers. Those capabilities can help future professionals approach their work with greater understanding and respect.
The university describes the program as part of its Christ-centered educational mission. In that context, studying Spanish is presented as a way for students to build bridges across cultures, serve others and prepare to contribute to communities where more than one language may be used.
Brunette-López said the department’s goal is connected to the university’s broader preparation of graduates for service. The program combines language learning with cultural study so that students can use both skills in their selected professions rather than treating Spanish as an isolated subject separate from their major.
Students describe academic and personal benefits
Ana Faulk, a junior history and Honors Academy major from Alvarado, is pursuing the Spanish minor. Her experience reflects one of the department’s arguments for making language study available to students in different academic fields.
Faulk said learning Spanish has created more opportunities to connect with other people. She also said the work has challenged her in formative ways, giving her a broader educational experience in addition to a second-language skill.
“There’s so much inherent value in learning any language, and Spanish is especially important to know with the growing number of Spanish-speakers living in the United States,” said Faulk.
For Faulk, the importance of Spanish is tied to both communication and the changing communities in which graduates will live and work. Her major is history, but the university’s structure allows her to add the minor while continuing her primary course of study.
Magaly Cervantes, a senior biomedical science major from Brownwood, is approaching the minor from a different starting point. Spanish is her first language and the primary language spoken in her family, but she chose the program to strengthen her language skills and deepen her understanding of Hispanic culture.
Cervantes is preparing for a future career in medicine. She said Spanish study gives her a way to strengthen her connection with family while also developing skills she expects to use with patients.
“I recognize how important it is to understand both the Spanish language and Hispanic culture,” said Cervantes.
She also pointed to Texas’ Hispanic heritage and said communicating with Spanish-speaking patients could help her build connections and provide compassionate care. Her comments illustrate the department’s emphasis on combining language proficiency with cultural awareness rather than viewing translation alone as the complete objective.
Brownwood health professionals discuss patient communication
The practical application of those skills was addressed during a university seminar this fall. Brunette-López joined his wife, Martha Treviño-Brunette, Howard Payne’s university nurse and NATCEP director, and Dr. Roy Byrd, an internal medicine physician in Brownwood.
The seminar was taught by Dr. Laci Sutton, dean of the School of Nursing and assistant professor of nursing. The speakers discussed the importance of understanding Spanish in health care and encouraged students to consider pursuing a Spanish minor.
The discussion focused on how language ability and cultural knowledge can affect the relationship between health care professionals and patients. For medical providers, the university said, communicating in a patient’s own language can support clearer conversations while familiarity with cultural beliefs and traditions can make care more personal.
“Understanding Hispanic culture and the Spanish language allows healthcare professionals to build trust, communicate more effectively and provide compassionate, patient-centered care,” said Martha Brunette.
She said health care professionals who can communicate with patients in their own language and understand the cultural context those patients bring to the encounter are better positioned to establish trust. The seminar therefore connected classroom study with a specific professional setting in Brownwood and with the responsibilities students may assume after graduation.
Program reflects university’s service mission
Howard Payne said the Spanish minor gives students an opportunity to strengthen skills relevant to their chosen professions while supporting the institution’s focus on community and service. Brunette-López said the program supports the university’s mission of preparing graduates to use their knowledge, skills and talents in service to God and humanity.
Founded in 1889, Howard Payne identifies itself as a Christ-centered liberal arts university in Brownwood. The university offers more than 100 majors, minors and pre-professional programs across six schools and serves students at three locations.
Within that broader academic setting, the Spanish and Hispanic Studies department is positioning the minor as an option for students whose future work may involve direct contact with Spanish-speaking residents. The university’s examples range from patient care and education to business, ministry, social work and criminal justice.
The source announcement does not provide enrollment figures for the Spanish minor, a specific date for the fall seminar or local workforce statistics. It does, however, identify the program’s stated next step for students: adding Spanish-language and cultural preparation to their existing academic paths as they prepare for employment and service in Texas and other increasingly multicultural communities.