Published July 2, 2019
Tree planted in honor of Dr. Charles Holloway
Students who participated in the University of Louisiana Monroe’s study abroad program
in Mérida, Mexico, in June took part in a special ceremony as the end of their stay
neared.
The group participating in ULM-Mexico in June.
The group was included in the 45th anniversary celebration of its host language school,
the Centro de Idiomas del Sureste (CIS).
In attendance were the founders of the school, Jorge and Chloe Pacheco, the director,
Fernando de la Cruz, Jose Pacheco (no relation to the founders), the Supervisor of
the Secretary of Education for the State of Yucatan, teachers from all branches of
the CIS, host families, the ULM-Mexico group — including its longtime director, Dr.
Charles Holloway — and members of the local press.
Holloway is Professor of World Languages in the School of Humanities in the College
of Arts, Education, & Sciences.
Pictured are ULM-Mexico students, along with Dr. Holloway and his wife, Carol; from
left, front row: Dr. Charles Holloway, Skylar Orozco, Elizabeth Hancock, Savanna Gonzalez,
Scarlett Lester and Carol Holloway; middle row: Shelby Cook, Amber Waterhouse, Emily
Healy, Melanie Deal, Sadaf Helforoosh and Torianne Servais; and back row: Bonnie Hemphill,
Ashtin Houghton, Luke Vaughn, Jessica Marvin and Colby Glatter.
As part of the ceremony, the CIS planted an árbol de la amistad, a tree of friendship, and placed in front of it a sign dedicating the tree to Holloway
and commemorating the decades-long relationship between ULM and the CIS, an association
initiated by School of Humanities Director, Dr. Ruth Smith.
The CIS had planned the 45th anniversary ceremony to coincide with the ULM group’s visit in order to highlight
the special nature of their connection with ULM.
The ULM-Mexico program offers students an experience of true cultural immersion, noted
Holloway.
“Studying abroad is very different from simply traveling to another country as a tourist,”
explained Holloway. “Our students live with Mexican host families, take classes in
Spanish, and use Spanish each day as they interact with the people of Mérida.”
Such intensive and direct contact with a culture different from one’s own is deeply
rewarding and even life-changing.
“I can say without hesitation that this experience changes forever the hearts and
minds of the students who participate,” Holloway said.
He attributed much of the program’s success to the careful planning of faculty and
staff at the CIS, whose director “consistently goes far above and beyond anything
that would be expected in order to ensure that our students have an exceptional experience
in Mérida.”
But he also credited the quality of ULM participants, who understand that they are
ambassadors for their university, state, and country.
“I am pleased that our students have taken this role seriously over the years, and
in doing so, have helped to make possible the decades of friendship between ULM and
the CIS,” he said.
