On April 22, 2026, at the Mueller Hall Refectory, students from Valpo’s Spanish program stepped in front of an audience to share something deeply personal: their own poetry, written and recited in Spanish.
This year’s annual Spanish Poetry Day celebration marked the release of the latest edition of Letras, Valpo’s Spanish literary magazine. Now in its 19th year, Letras has become a cornerstone of the Spanish program — one that blends language learning with creativity, cultural exploration, and student expression.
Founded by Professor Carlos Miguel-Pueyo, Ph.D., Letras challenges students to go beyond traditional language study. Each year, advanced Spanish students write original poems in Spanish, refine them through one-on-one mentorship with professors, and share their work with our community at Spanish Poetry Day.
“Writing poetry in your own language is already difficult,” Professor Miguel-Pueyo says. “Doing it in a second language and then presenting it publicly is a huge achievement.”
Each issue follows an alphabetical theme. This year’s edition centers on “Q” for Quimera — a concept that reflects dreams and aspirations that may feel just out of reach. The result is a collection of student work that explores universal themes like identity, love, and purpose – all through the lens of a second language.
At Valpo, Spanish Poetry Day transforms the written word into a shared experience.
Coinciding with National Poetry Month, Valpo’s Spanish department invites its students to read their work aloud while poems are projected for the audience to follow. The celebration draws inspiration from literary history, including the legacy of Cervantes and Shakespeare, both commemorated on April 23.
For students, the experience is both rewarding and vulnerable. They are not simply practicing Spanish; they are expressing emotions, telling stories, and connecting with others. “It goes beyond learning vocabulary,” Professor Miguel-Pueyo explains. “It’s about expressing emotions and finding a more beautiful way to say something.”
For Martha Bravo ’27, a student editor of Letras, the experience has been personal and eye-opening. “I had submitted a poem to Letras last year and felt an immense sense of pride both in my culture and in myself as I challenged myself to create in another language that was close to home,” Martha shares.
Working on the publication this year deepened Martha’s appreciation for Spanish-language literature and its global reach. “The Spanish-speaking diaspora is so large,” she says. “However, Spanish-language literature is largely underrepresented in our country despite it being the second most-spoken language. That is what makes Letras so poignant at our university — it celebrates all creative minds, whether the writers are Spanish learners or native speakers.” Her experience reflects what makes Letras unique: it creates space for both linguistic growth and cultural connection.
The Letras project is part of a broader commitment to experiential learning at Valpo. Students don’t just study Spanish — they use it in meaningful, creative ways. From drafting and revising poems to presenting and publishing them, students complete a full creative and academic journey. The final publication, registered and professionally produced, gives them a lasting accomplishment they can share beyond the classroom.
As Spanish Lecturer Giosuè Alagna, Ph.D., shares, “Letras is such a unique opportunity for our students, not just because of the uniqueness of the experience of writing and reading poetry in a second language, but because only a select number of colleges offer similar initiatives. It’s just one example of what makes our Spanish Program at Valpo so special.”
At Valpo, students can tailor their Spanish studies to align with career goals, with courses designed for fields like healthcare, business, STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics), and translation. Students in Valpo’s Spanish program graduate prepared to communicate across cultures and apply their language skills in real-world settings.
Here, Spanish is more than a subject — it’s a way to connect, create, and engage with the world. Through traditions like Spanish Poetry Day and Letras, Valpo students gain confidence not only in their language abilities but in their ability to share ideas, tell stories, and contribute to a global conversation.
Learn more about Valparaiso University’s Spanish program and how students bring language to life through culture, creativity, and meaningful experiences at valpo.edu/spanish.
