About “El Centro”
South Carolina Centro Latino—“El Centro”—bridges cultures across our state. Guided by three pillars—Latino interdisciplinary public scholarship, civic leadership & mentoring, and the public humanities—we create institutional space for community building, wellness, and opportunity. Our multilingual public humanities series features voices from public history, oral and cultural traditions, the arts, languages and literature, poetry, philosophy, translation and interpreting, music, and community theater. We connect students in all majors with emerging scholars, artists, and civic and industry leaders through public-facing events through the El Centro Public Scholars Program.
We invite you to explore the El Centro Scholar Commons, a growing archive of co-authored publications and co-authored newsletters with students, and please follow us on social media for weekly updates.
Mission
El Centro brings visibility to Latino interdisciplinary public scholarship and authentic community outreach—growing recruitment, mentoring, and civic leadership—and, through the public humanities, prepares our communities for success in the interconnected and multilingual local and global workforce.
Vision Statement
El Centro is nationally and internationally recognized for its collaborative, community-rooted, cultural, and linguistic approach that elevates Latino interdisciplinary public scholarship, strengthens civic leadership and mentoring, and advances the multilingual public humanities across higher education and civic life.
South Carolina Centro Latino Initiatives
- Connect students with civic leaders, artists, scholars, and mentors through El Centro’s Speaker Series.
- Offer the El Centro Public Scholars Program to students of all majors.
- Celebrate graduates each semester with La Fiesta for El Centro Public Scholars.
- Teach four interdisciplinary courses designed to deepen community and industry connections.
- Provide paid marketing internships and volunteer roles at recruitment events and career fairs for students across majors.
- Award competitive study abroad micro-grants to El Centro Public Scholars.
- Fund annual El Centro Public Scholarships supported by the Swift Family Endowment.
- Build on the legacy of UnidosUS Líderes Avanzando Through College.
- Advance interdisciplinary, multilingual public humanities scholarship.
- Co-host interdisciplinary conferences on the local and global impacts of migration.
- Support public-facing work—podcasts, interactive lectures, and projects in English and other languages.
- Engage families in English, Spanish, and additional languages at admissions recruitment events and community resource fairs.
- Co-host the 37th Annual Carolina Association of Translators & Interpreters Conference.
- Co-host with the Latino Faculty Caucus at USC Columbia the “Advancing the Higher Education Pathway in the Southeast for Hispanic and Latino” Summit.
- Collaborate with nonprofits, schools, and higher-education partners—locally, nationally, and transnationally—across sectors including business and public health.
Support South Carolina Centro Latino:
Fall 2026 Events
All events count towards the El Centro Scholars Program.
Free. No RSVP needed. See maps. Light refreshments served.
Follow South Carolina Centro Latino (El Centro) on social media for volunteer opportunities at community tabling events and with campus partners, and share our posts.
Share our Facebook events with your followers and indicate that you are attending.
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 26:
Premier Fair
Stop by El Centro’s table from 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. in the Campus Life Center (CLC) Patio & Surrounding Areas.
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15:
Your Voice, Tu Voto, Our Future
Kick off Hispanic Heritage Month with a free, interactive voter education event.
Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority, Inc., and El Centro invite you to connect with community organizations, enjoy music and refreshments, learn about voter education, and register to vote. We thank Global Education for its sponsorship.
- USC Upstate, Olin B. Sansbury Jr. Campus Life Center Ballroom (CLC 309), 180 Gramling Drive, Spartanburg, SC 29303 @ 12:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Helado Social: Sabores de Casa
The Hispanic Heritage Month kickoff continues with an evening celebration hosted by USC Upstate Housing & Residential Life and South Carolina Centro Latino (El Centro). Participants are invited to enjoy a free ice cream bar, a free charm bar, and an evening of culture, creativity, and community.
- Sparty’s Den | 6:30–8:00 p.m.
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16:
Fronteras as Pathways: Reimagining College Opportunity through Family, Culture, and Belonging
Hispanic Heritage Month event with Keynote Speaker Dr. Carmen Serrata, Assistant Professor of Higher Education, UNC Charlotte. Dr. Serrata will explore how family, culture, and belonging can shape and expand pathways to college opportunity.
- USC Upstate, Olin B. Sansbury Jr. Campus Life Center (CLC 319), 180 Gramling Drive, Spartanburg, SC 29303 @ 12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23:
College Majors Fair
Stop by El Centro’s table from 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. in the Olin B. Sansbury Jr. Campus Life Center Ballroom (CLC 310).
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7:
250 Years: Cultural Stewardship Across Generations
How do communities preserve their stories, languages, artistic traditions, and shared values? Join us for an interactive discussion exploring the role of cultural stewardship in connecting past, present, and future generations. Hispanic Heritage Month event with special guests: Dr. Nancy Aguirre, Associate Professor of History at the Citadel and Borderlands Scholar; Dr. Jennifer “Bingo” Gunter, SC Humanities Executive Director and historian of the US South; and Claire Roussos, editor/owner of Spartanburg Living. El Centro’s Director, Dr. Hernández-Laroche, is excited to co-moderate with Ana Becerra Salinas. Communications major, UMC bilingual intern.
- USC Upstate, Olin B. Sansbury Jr. Campus Life Center (CLC 319) @ 12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. 180 Gramling Drive, Spartanburg, SC 29303.
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 14:
Hispanic Heritage Night at Lone Oak Elementary
El Centro Public Scholars volunteer at our table and engage families from 5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Contact El Centro’s Director to volunteer.
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28:
AI for Impact: Community Engagement & Career Readiness
Explore equitable uses of AI for schools and nonprofits with a multicultural focus. El Centro event with Humanities Minnesota Center Board Chair, Sherry Sanchez Tibbetts, JD., a strategic thinker, a changemaker, and a champion for systems that work for everyone.
- USC Upstate, Olin B. Sansbury Jr. Campus Life Center (CLC 319) @ 12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. 180 Gramling Drive, Spartanburg, SC 29303.
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 14:
Spartan Saturday
Stop by El Centro’s table. Please register with Admissions.
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 18:
Succession as Legacy: Preparing the Next Generation of Leaders
How do we build leadership that lasts beyond one person or one generation?
Join El Centro for a special International Women’s Entrepreneurship Day conversation exploring mentorship, succession planning, and the importance of preparing future generations to lead with purpose. Come connect, learn, and reflect on what it means to create a lasting leadership legacy. Guest panelists: Dr. Ona Egbue, Professor & Chair Bridget Kirkland, Dr. Lillian Reeves, UNC Charlotte Associate Dean Dr. Janaka B. Lewis, and political science major Yasaira Sanchez.
- USC Upstate, Olin B. Sansbury Jr. Campus Life Center (CLC 319), 180 Gramling Drive, Spartanburg, SC 29303 @ 12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 30:
La Fiesta: Celebrate Graduating El Centro Public Scholars
Join El Centro as we celebrate our graduating El Centro Public Scholars and recognize their accomplishments, leadership, and contributions to our campus community. Come celebrate this milestone with us alongside family, friends, students, and community members. The 8th Avanzando Cohort will join us. Nina Cano, a Charleston-based immigration attorney, will serve as our keynote speaker. We thank Truliant Federal Credit Union and Student Success for their sponsorship.
- USC Upstate, Health Education Complex (HEC) Smith Boardroom 2086, 300 N. Campus Blvd, Spartanburg, SC 29303 @ 12:30 p.m. – 1:45 p.m.
Avanzando 8th Cohort: 5:30–7:30 p.m. (RSVP)
Sept. 24, Oct. 8 & 22, Nov. 6, 19, and 30.
Leadership
Araceli Hernández-Laroche, PhD
Director, South Carolina Centro Latino
864-503-5221 | [email protected] | Linkedin
Araceli Hernández-Laroche (PhD, UC Berkeley) is Professor of Modern Languages at USC Upstate and the founding director of South Carolina Centro Latino (El Centro), whose pillars are Latinx Interdisciplinary Studies, Civic Leadership, and the multilingual Public Humanities. A speaker of four languages, she has published widely, including work with Cambridge University Press and on the co-edited PMLA Special Topics issue, “The Theories and Methodologies of Public Humanities.” She has served as co-president of the Association of Departments of Languages Executive Committee and on the Modern Language Association Ad Hoc Committee on Valuing the Public Humanities. Her recognitions include the 2023 Akers Prize from South Carolina Humanities for using culture and history to bring people together, as well as South Carolina Career Woman of the Year (2020), Woman of Influence (2024), Advocate of the Year (2024), and inclusion among the Top 12 Most Influential Women in the Southeast. A graduate of leadership programs through AASCU and the Spartanburg County Foundation’s Grassroots Leadership Development Institute, she serves on boards including the Spartanburg Academic Movement, the ACLU of South Carolina, South Carolina Humanities, the LGBT Fund of Spartanburg Grants Advisory Committee, and IME Becas through the Mexican Consulate in Raleigh.
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