Keeping Christ at the center – Hispanic Heritage Month

The CSU Spanish department hosted a Hispanic Heritage Month event on Sept. 17 featuring guest speaker Dr. Glorimar Blanco.

Blanco, a longtime Spanish professor at CSU, has remained actively involved with the university and the community even in retirement. From 2010 until her retirement in 2024, Blanco built an impressive legacy of teaching, mentoring, and service. Her contributions ranged from creating new Spanish courses that highlighted Hispanic creativity and Latin American politics to leading mission trips where students applied their language skills in real-world settings.

In May 2018, she received CSU’s Excellence in Teaching Award in recognition of her dedication to students and excellence in education.

Faith plays a central role in Blanco’s life and work. She often emphasizes that her steps are guided by the Lord. “Lord, I’m willing, whatever I have to go through, even if it’s difficult, I will do it for your sake,” Blanco said. “Because I know you will put me in the right place where you want.”

Blanco said she hopes to fulfill God’s purpose for her life and bless others with what He has given her. “I want to contribute a little bit of what God has given me,” she said.

“We have to be willing to learn from one another,” Blanco said. “Yes, I’m a professor, but I’m also a sister in Christ.”

Blanco credits her passion for serving the Hispanic community to her faith. “When it comes to God, I give Him all the credit because everything has to come from Him,” she said.

While acknowledging that faith does not eliminate adversity, Blanco said she has experienced God’s faithfulness through every challenge. “God kept me,” she said. “You know, it’s credited to Him.”

Blanco often shared Romans 8:28 with her students as encouragement during difficult times. “You only see one little section of things; God sees the whole picture,” she said.

Her message to students is simple but enduring—always keep your focus on God.