{"id":35,"date":"2025-10-27T10:56:37","date_gmt":"2025-10-27T10:56:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/lc-student-news\/?p=35"},"modified":"2025-10-27T10:56:37","modified_gmt":"2025-10-27T10:56:37","slug":"meet-your-language-centre-director-dr-wissia-fiorucci","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/lc-student-news\/2025\/10\/27\/meet-your-language-centre-director-dr-wissia-fiorucci\/","title":{"rendered":"Meet Your Language Centre Director \u2013 Dr Wissia Fiorucci"},"content":{"rendered":"

Welcome to all our new and returning Language Centre students! We thought this would be a be a fantastic opportunity to introduce you to your Language Centre Director, Dr Wissia Fiorucci<\/strong><\/a>. Take a look at the interview below to find out more about Wissia and their role at Kent.<\/p>\n

Can you tell us a bit about your journey to becoming Centre Director?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

I\u2019ve always believed that languages are for everyone, not just a select few. My journey has been shaped by a commitment to international education and making sure all students feel that language learning is accessible and rewarding. When I became the Centre Director, I could finally put those values into practice on a larger scale.<\/p>\n

What are your top priorities for the Centre this academic year and why?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

My priority is to keep building an inclusive, international environment where everyone can see languages as a gateway to opportunity. We want to show that language learning really is for everyone. And it matters now more than ever: in a world of global tensions and fake news, we need people who can communicate across cultures and bring clarity where it\u2019s most needed.<\/p>\n

What are you most proud of in your Centre, and are there any specific achievements?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/h3>\n

I am most proud of the way our Centre champions students of all backgrounds and abilities. One of my proudest achievements is seeing a student who was dyslexic and who started a language from scratch go on to thrive. I taught them throughout their degree, and while they struggled academically, their perseverance was remarkable. When we launched a collaboration with a high school in the country where the language is spoken, they applied for the role and got it. Before they left, I told them, \u201cYou\u2019re the first of this collab\u2014no pressure, but you need to make us look good!\u201d They laughed and said, \u201cNo problem, boss.\u201d Today, they still live there with a permanent job and no plans to return. For me, that\u2019s the success story: languages transforming lives.<\/p>\n

What is one thing that students might be surprised to learn about you?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

I am not sure about \u201csurprised\u201d but I usually come across as very confident and self-assured. Yet, I have, or used to have, a stutter. I struggled with it throughout my studies, as in Italy, all tests and exams at university are oral. I said \u201cused to have\u201d because I have chosen a job where I have to talk all the time, in a discipline -languages- that has communication at its very core\u2026so I sort of challenged myself throughout my life. In fact, I\u2019d say I challenged my stutter away. I mean, it is still there, but it does not control my speech anymore, nor my life.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s your favourite spot on campus, and why?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Anywhere on campus that allows you to see the Cathedral. It\u2019s just such a privileged sight.<\/p>\n

Is there a student success story that has inspired you in your career as Centre Director?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Yes\u2014the dyslexic student I just mentioned. Their story reminds me every day that success isn\u2019t just about grades. It\u2019s about courage and resilience, and the doors that open when you embrace a new language.<\/p>\n

What one piece of advice would you give students to help them maximise their academic success this year?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Be open to new languages, new cultures, and new ways of thinking. And don\u2019t be afraid to reach out for support; your journey is your own, but you don\u2019t need to walk it alone. And you won\u2019t!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Welcome to all our new and returning Language Centre students! We thought this would be a be a fantastic opportunity to introduce you to your … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":85438,"featured_media":39,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"image","meta":[],"categories":[978,124],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/lc-student-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/lc-student-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/lc-student-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/lc-student-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/85438"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/lc-student-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=35"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/lc-student-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":52,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/lc-student-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35\/revisions\/52"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/lc-student-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/39"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/lc-student-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=35"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/lc-student-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=35"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/lc-student-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=35"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}