From EPCC to Texas State: A Student’s Multilingual Journey

By: Mildred Dominici

Tejano Tribune

At El Paso Community College, students often discover paths they never expected. For Fernando Escapita, an EPCC student, that path began with music, but it quickly expanded into other languages and cultures.

Escapita majored in music technology in his first year at EPCC, initially focused on earning his associate degree.

Already fluent in English, Spanish, and Chinese, he saw an opportunity to challenge himself once more. “I thought itwould be interesting to start learning a new language,” Escapita said.

That craving for a challenge led him to enroll in French during the Fall semester. What began as a fun choice, soonbecame something bigger, as he progressed, Escapita realized the global reach of French.

Dr. Maria del Carmen Ramirez and Fernando Escapita.

Spoken by over 250 billion people worldwide, French is far more than just the romance lenguage of Paris. It plays a major role in international fields in diplomacy, fashion, cuisine, and the arts.

For Escapita, it opened a door for a newfound goal: Becoming a translator. That goal gained him a spot into Texas State University in San Marcos. “I felt really happy,” Escapita said.

Escapita’s success was not his alone. His professor and EPCC Coordinator of Foreign

Languages, Dr. Maria del Carmen Ramirez, shared the excitement.

“I was very proud, oh my goodness! I was just so happy for him,” she said.

For Ramirez, his achievement reflects what the program hopes to inspire more students across El Paso Community College. “Learning a language goes with everything, no matter the career you are going into,” she said. “It’s really going to make you stand out.”

She emphasized that opportunities like this are available to all students. “We want them to know. We’re here.”