Mrs. Marquez, wife of Alderman Marquez, received the gift from the Spanish Club as one of her granddaughters looks on. To the right in the background is a traditional home called troje.

It was in the summer of 2004 when, Agnes Ragone, associate professor of modern languages, and Paul Marr, professor of geography/earth science noticed a bilingual school in the small village of Arantepacua where Spanish and Purépecha were taught. Purépecha is an indigenous language with a stable population of speakers numbering about 100,000.

During the trip, Ragone was saddened by the condition of the local grammar school. She described the facility as “an American school in the nineteenth century, with some wooden desks, some books, pencils, and paper.” Ragone, with the help of the Spanish Club and Modern Language Department, adopted the grammar school and raised funds that could be used for the purchase of much needed supplies and updated materials.

In May, the pair returned to Michoacán with a small contingent of students studying abroad. On this trip, Ragone was able to disperse the funds to the town’s leading alderman for use at the school. She also received a kind invitation to spend time at the alderman’s home on her next visit.