Amigos Latinos Student Association | Photo by Kelsie Tomlinson | The Wright State Guardian
Search for a new Wright State University (WSU) Latino Center intercultural specialist began after the previous specialist left the university unexpectedly. Students reflect on the lack of support during this time.
Past specialist
February marks the third month the Latino Center has been without an intercultural specialist. The past specialist, Fermine Recarte, who joined the university in spring 2021, unexpectedly left the university in December 2021 for reasons unknown.
“It was just a complicated matter that was addressed through Human Resources and addressed through institutional administration,” Kevin Huang, intercultural specialist for the Asian and Native American Center, said.
Huang further explained that he did not know the exact reason why Recarte suddenly left the university.
Searching for a replacement
Huang, along with Dr. Michael Saville, WSU professor and student advisor to the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, led the search committee to replace Recarte.
The position was posted to the university’s website on Dec. 21, 2021, while the committee formed in January 2022 and the chairs were recently appointed in February.
According to Saville, the committee will start to review three applicants starting Feb. 14. Both Huang and Saville, along with the committee, are looking for candidates that will collaboratively work with students and the other centers. They are also looking for those with good leadership and organizational qualities.
“We did learn that we need someone who has that leadership ability, someone who will show up and be there for the students, someone who will be able to handle the administrative requirements,” Saville said.
Student opinions
WSU students in the Latino and Hispanic communities use the center as a safe space, resources and social support system. Without a specialist to lead the center, many operations and events have come to a halt.
Students like freshman Andre Torres are discouraged over the loss of a leader for the Latino Center.
“Now that it [the support] is gone, it hurts,” Torres said.
Torres, who is of Puerto Rican descent, explained how he used the center to find his social community and how he felt a natural connection with the center and the people in it. He compared the loss of support from the center and the loss of an intercultural specialist to a security blanket being taken from a child.
Now that the center is less active, Torres is looking to other organizations, like Greek Life, to find a sense of community again.
He did report that he would gladly start visiting the Latino Center again if an intercultural specialist was found in the coming months.
An average search and hiring process for an intercultural specialist takes around seven months, according to Huang. The committee is wishing to expedite the process so the center can receive adequate support.
