Story taken from interview with Amy, IEM/MPA, ’18; Written by K.Throgmorton
Amy’s language journey started when she was very young and has only grown as her passion for language has developed and matured.
Spanish
Miranda Meyer – Spanish and Me: A Love/Hate Relationship (Spanish)
International Education Management, Master of Public AdministrationStory written by Miranda Meyer, IEM/MPA, ’18
Spanish and I have a love/hate relationship. Some days I absolutely love listening to it, speaking it, and thinking about it. Other days, I struggle to come up with words, my pronunciation is terrible, and if I hear one more song in Spanish I want to scream.
Francesca Aka – Breaking Down Barriers Through Multilingualism (French, Italian, Spanish, English)
All Student Stories, Master of Public AdministrationStory taken from interview with Francesca Aka, MPA, ’18; Written by K.Throgmorton
Growing up a ‘third culture kid,’ Francesca learned quickly how to adapt to new places and new people. Francesca describes being a third culture kid as being a bridge between cultures. She navigates her family culture and the dominant culture of wherever she is.
Christina Lukeman – Taking Chances, Making Changes (Spanish, Mandarin Chinese)
All Student Stories, Master of Business AdministrationStory taken from interview with Christina Lukeman, MBA, ’17; Written by K.Throgmorton
Learning a language is humbling; it’s hard to do and takes time as well as dedication. When Christina talks about the languages she speaks and the learning process they require, she acknowledges just how awkward it can feel to start learning a new language.
Merideth Bush – From Gringa to Gaijin (Spanish, Japanese)
All Student Stories, Master of Public AdministrationStory written by Merideth Bush, MPA, ’16
Spanish has always been an important presence in my life. My mother lived as a medical missionary in Guatemala before marrying my father, so I became familiar with the language at a very young age.
Karla Piacentini – Bridging Cultures, Exploring Identities (Spanish, Ilonggo)
All Student Stories, Master of Public AdministrationStory taken from interview with Karla Piacentini, IEM/MPA, ’17; Written by K.Throgmorton
“The limits of my language are the limits of my world.” ~Ludwig Wittgenstein
Language is a bridge that connects people across cultures that engenders an intimate authenticity among language learners. Learning a new language forces you to make mistakes and falter in efforts to gain a better handle on the new language.
Danny Pavitt – Spanish-Immersion in my Own Country (Spanish)
All Student Stories, International Policy and DevelopmentStory written by Danny Pavitt, IPD, ’16
You may consider the question that I initially did: Who goes to Vermont to study Spanish? Well, I can emphatically confirm that Middlebury College turns non-believers into Spanish-speaking believers. For seven weeks, students pledge to speak, eat, dance (salsa, flamenco), socialize, listen, read, write, and hopefully dream in Spanish.
Kevin Emore – From Insecurity to Building Connections (Spanish)
All Student Stories, Nonproliferation and Terrorism Studies
Story written by Kevin Emore, NPTS, ’14
I wish my first foray into Spanish was a little more profound than “I need to take a language, let’s give Spanish a shot,” but it really wasn’t.