Hometown: Kanazawa, Japan
Major/Minor: Political Science
Email: Fconde@middlebury.edu
On-campus Activities: Feminist Action at Middlebury (FAM), International Students Organization (ISO), Butch’s Team
Commons: Brainerd
Why did you choose Middlebury?
I have always been interested in political science and foreign language, both fields being ones of strength for Middlebury. However, beyond purely academic reasoning, I was drawn to the sense of community found on campus. Students struck me as bright, creative and humble, thus ever willing to learn from one another. Professors seemed to conduct classes in a manner that closer resembled a reciprocal conversation rather than to employ a traditional lecture-style methodology. I believed that Middlebury was a community I could both contribute to and grow as a result of, a fact that I am ever more certain of as time passes.
Favorite study spot on campus?
My favorite study spot on campus is largely dependent on both my mood and my workload. When stressed and faced with an imminent deadline, I have no choice but to isolate myself inside an empty classroom, cowering away from any possible distraction. However, on the few occasions where I impress myself by avoiding the temptation to procrastinate, studying becomes an almost enjoyable pastime. In these moments, I love to study in Proctor, where the endless supply of tea and coffeecake fuels my motivation to power through my weekly reading assignments.
Favorite class or professor at Middlebury (or both)?
Although I have only just completed my first year at Middlebury, I’ve been lucky enough to have taken some incredible classes, thus making it difficult to select just one as a clear favorite. That being said, both my classes and professors within the Spanish department have been some of my most memorable. This past semester, I had the opportunity to take a class with Professor Alla Fil who is a Middlebury graduate herself. Professor Fil was one of the kindest, most inspiring women I have ever had the pleasure of learning from. The joy that she so clearly derived from being able to assist each member of our class on our path to hopeful fluency was incredibly motivating. On our final day of class, she brought us homemade empanadas and told us how lucky she felt to have been able to spend the semester getting to know us. I only hope she realized how really, we were the lucky ones.
Advice for a prospective student?
I’m going to be really cheesy and give the same advice that my father gave me when I was going through the final process of deciding where to spend the upcoming four years of my life. Deciding on a college was not an easy decision for me – I was terrified of making the wrong choice, one that would not only leave me in a precarious position for the future but also manage to disappoint my parents. I was also on my gap year at the time, making it difficult to sit down and think things over in a rational manner. However, I so clearly remember my father’s words of wisdom despite the shaky wifi connection of the Guatemalan internet café that I happened to be sitting in. He told me to be wise, but above all, to pick a college that I could attend without the temptation to imagine myself anywhere studying else. He told me that happiness and satisfaction were occasionally more valuable than strict rationality. These words gave me the confidence to send in my first deposit to Middlebury College knowing that I had made the right choice.