Lianet Fleites-Claro, a graduate of Georgia Tech’s M.S. in Applied Languages and Intercultural Studies (M.S. ALIS) program, teaches Spanish and Latin American Studies at Morehouse College.
In her classes, she introduces students to big, real-world topics — such as natural resource use, colonial history, and the lasting impact of industry on Latin America — through a broad, human-centered perspective. Her teaching draws heavily on her coursework in sustainability and cultural studies in the School of Modern Languages.
Rather than focusing only on grammar and syntax, Fleites-Claro encourages students to see language as part of a larger system that includes society, culture, and history. This approach helps students connect what they’re learning in the classroom to global cultures and contemporary issues, making the material more relevant and engaging.
The M.S. ALIS Program: A Solid Foundation
During her time in the M.S. ALIS program, Fleites-Claro built a strong foundation in interdisciplinary research. One of her most formative academic experiences was a course called Theory and Foundations, which helped shape her intersectional and critical approach to cultural analysis. In that course, she studied how gender is portrayed in the work of Chilean writer Pedro Lemebel, exploring how his work challenges traditional ways of thinking.
For her final master’s project, Fleites-Claro examined how Cuban families maintain close ties across distance, particularly between Florida and Cuba. She focused on the role of family photographs, including how they are shared, preserved, and curated across borders, to better understand how relationships and emotional connections are sustained despite distance and separation.
Advice to Current B.S. ALIS or M.S. ALIS Students
Reflecting on her experience in the program, Fleites-Claro emphasizes the importance of planning early and staying actively engaged. She encourages current students of the program to start thinking about their final projects at the beginning of their program and to build relationships with faculty by engaging with their areas of research. Networking, she notes, is also key to opening doors in both academic and professional fields.
“The M.S. ALIS program provides strong pathways into fields such as communication, international relations, research, and education. But beyond that, it also offers tools to deconstruct ourselves, reflect on our realities, and build a more humane, just, and respectful relationship with the other,” said Fleites-Claro.
What’s Next?
Fleites-Claro’s background in languages and cross-cultural studies continues to shape her teaching philosophy. By placing language within its broader historical and cultural processes, she creates courses that resonate with students interested in intercultural understanding. At Morehouse College, she has found an especially engaged and dynamic academic community.
Looking ahead, she plans to pursue a career in academia while remaining deeply committed to teaching. She is also interested in presenting her research in creative and public-facing ways, including exhibitions that combine sound, photography, and storytelling to explore themes of migration and family fragmentation.
By Melissa Garcia-Rodriguez, M.S. in Global Media and Cultures student
