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For Hispanic Heritage Month, Black Hawk College honors and celebrates all of our Hispanic students, staff, faculty and alumni. To kick off our celebration, explore these spotlight stories from across our campus community.
Since 1987, Professor Maria “Conchita” Lucas-Murillo has been part of the Black Hawk College team. Although she primarily teaches Spanish, she has also taught French and Italian, and is also fluent in German and English.
Born in Spain, she earned her degree in German from the University of Deusto. Lucas-Murillo moved to the U.S. to teach German, but after finding limited opportunities, she earned her Master’s in Spanish at the University of Iowa.
Teaching is in her blood. She grew up in Salamanca, Spain, which is the home to one of Europe’s oldest universities and a lot of her family members taught in the university environment.
As the author of ¡Con Brio!, she believes that giving students the practical tools to become culturally proficient, learning how to connect with Spanish speakers in their daily lives is a vital aspect.
“I have always believed that learning a language and the aspects of the culture and traditions of the people that speak it, is like getting the key to open up a new world and a new way of experiencing life. I feel privileged to be the person that provides students with this tool,” Lucas-Murillo said.
“It gives me great satisfaction to see them enrich their lives. Among my students I have also had in advanced levels, students from [various Hispanic] backgrounds. It has been very rewarding for me to follow their improvement with the language of their ancestors, and to make them feel proud of their rich heritage.”