Spring Hill College welcomed two faculty members from Peru, Dr. Cinthya Torres and Sr. Nélida Naveros-Cordova C.D.P.
Dr. Torres has been a Spanish professor for one year. She was initially drawn to Mobile after spending 12 years in Boston with the opportunity to develop new courses in multiple departments and the small liberal arts Jesuit college atmosphere interested her greatly. Dr. Torres is from Lima, Peru which is not similar to Mobile at all in size but in personality. It is “easy to make community here,” according to Dr. Torres.
However, the hardest thing for her has been the fact that she has to drive around. Dr. Torres explains how having a brand-new faculty member from Peru has made a “huge difference” in her experience here because it “is nice to have someone who I can relate to” through the same cities, memories, and colloquial words.
Sr. Nélida agrees with this and has also found the faculty to “have been wonderful and helpful,” she received emails before her move-in with faculty willing to help her with anything she needs and she has felt welcomed here. Sr. Nélida has been in the United States for 20 years before making her way down to the south. She agreed that Mobile was similar to Lima because the southern hospitality is here as well, which is not present in the North.
Sr. Nélida is currently the only woman in the theology and to be the only woman, a Latina, and a Sister are unique qualities she brings to the Spring Hill Community. She is very excited to give the female approach and believes that it will “enrich the theology department”. Sr. Nélida is very excited to start her time here at The Hill.
Dr. Torres is involved in the ESL classes held by the Foley Center and Dwell. Dwell, a nonprofit organization to benefit refugees, does not feel like work to her and she loves the sense of community. Dr. Nélida has only been in Mobile for 6 weeks but plans to go on one of the service immersion trips and be involved in Spanish Club. Sr. Nélida is also involved in the Ignatian Seminar. Mobile and Spring Hill College have been very accommodating and welcoming to these two faculty members from Peru who have a vision for the future of the students here.