Eastern has a husband and wife team who are passionate about their professions, the university and the Charleston community.

Luis Clay Mendez, professor of foreign languages and Penelope Clay, instructor of foreign languages, teach Spanish.

Clay Mendez has taught at Eastern for 22 to 23 years, and Clay has taught at Eastern for nine years. Clay Mendez teaches a broad range of classes, from beginning Spanish to upper division classes, and Clay teaches beginning Spanish classes.

Clay Mendez and Clay, then Penelope Foster, met at Washington University in St. Louis in 1968 and married three years later. Clay Mendez is from Cuba, and Clay is from Perry, Okla.

Clay Mendez and Clay take their students on trips to Spanish-speaking countries in the summer. They took students to Costa Rica in 1999 and took students to Spain for 17 consecutive summers, Clay said.

The Costa Rica trip, along with the other travels, are academic trips, Clay Mendez said.

“Students attend classes and experience the dynamic of the culture,” Clay Mendez said. “Travel and language go hand in hand”

Clay agrees.

“I encourage (studying abroad). It’s good to practice language,” Clay said.

Although she is from Oklahoma, Clay is almost a native speaker.

“I started in high school; it takes desire and practice,” Clay said.

The explanation for this, Clay Mendez said, is because the level of expertise in a language depends on the level of exposure.

Taking a foreign language is a wonderful way to improve English, Clay Mendez said. The ability to speak Spanish will also give students an edge in business, and Spanish is “all around.”

“Teaching is only one of the many opportunities,” Clay Mendez said.

Clay enjoys showing students new culture and customs, how they are similar to people from another culture and how they are different.

Eastern alumni who were once Spanish majors report back to the Clays with interesting stories, Clay said.

Clay Mendez and Clay love to travel, but they always look forward to coming back to Charleston, Clay Mendez said.

Clay Mendez and Clay are active members of Eastern’s community. Clay Mendez was on last year’s presidential search committee and on the vice presidential search committee that elected Blair Lord.

Clay heads the Spanish Club, which is for anyone with interest in Spanish.

“(Anyone interested) doesn’t have to be a Spanish major or know Spanish,” Clay said.

The Spanish Club meets once a month to play games, watch movies and have speakers.