What inspired you to work for Middlebury - C.V. Starr Schools Abroad?
During the summer between my sophomore and junior year while studying for my BA in Secondary Education at SUNY Oswego, I attended the Oswego program in Madrid, Spain. That changed my life.
I returned to Spain after graduating to teach English as a Second Language, then returned to the US to teach high school Spanish. I returned to Spain to study for my MA in Spanish at Middlebury College in Madrid, and then was hired as the Assistant Director and eventually became Director.
The Middlebury program was absolutely the best option for perfecting my Spanish and taking it to the highest level. The combination of the stellar classes with brilliant professors and out-of-class learning was perfect for learning Spanish!
What advice would you tell your pre-travel self?
My advice is the same that I have told the hundreds of students that I have advised over the years: surround yourself with the language and immerse yourself in the community. Find your doors of opportunity to communicate with people of all ages.
No matter what level of Spanish you have, create a new identity for yourself in Spanish. Make as many mistakes as possible, because that is where the learning comes from. Listen, observe, participate, laugh, cry, play sports, go to concerts, find a new hobby. Each experience will give you new ways to acquire Spanish.
Above all, be open to new ways of looking at yourself and at the world. Your perspective on life, your worldviews, your beliefs and values will change for the better.
La Alhambra - Granada, Spain
Describe a typical day at work.
"Typical" is not a word that I would use to describe my day! Every day is different, and every day is exciting.
Advising students as they acclimate to a new language and culture is one of the most satisfyingly complicated jobs to have. Students come to my office with questions, fears, excitement, and ups and downs born of the struggle to express themselves in a language that is hard to manage. My job, as I see it, is to help students learn to work their way toward accepting how others see them and how they see others.
There is a lot of bureaucracy to be done each day (accounting, academic administration, health and safety issues, organization of cultural travel and activities), but it is the daily contact with students that is the most important part of my day. Listening to their self-discoveries (complicated sometimes), hearing about their relationship with the language and the culture (even more complicated), and just seeing the joy of participating in a different social scene is very satisfying.
Why do you do what you do?
I do what I do, and have done so, for 45 years. I love it; even the problematic moments are a learning experience for me, still after all of these years. I am an eternal study abroad student myself.
I recall vividly every moment of my first experience in Spain, and I hope to help students find their own love for Spain, no matter how challenging it is.
What is your favorite part of your job?
Watching students evolve over the semester; linguistically, socially, and personally, and knowing that my work in the program plays a significant role in their evolution.
How do you use your education and international background in your current role?
I use it every single day. I have a Ph.D. in Foreign Language Education, so helping students to improve their level of Spanish is my career goal and personal satisfaction.
My own study abroad experience and continued living and learning in Spain mold everything that I do with and for students.
What challenges do you often face and how do you overcome them?
The biggest challenges have to do with helping students adapt to different ways of using their five (or six) senses.
They come with very defined backgrounds, and those are sometimes almost impossible to become permeable enough in a semester to be able to really appreciate and enjoy their time in Spain. I have had the deepest conversations with students about this, and it is a challenge for me to help them through it and at the same time be sensitive to their ideas and feelings.
What are some current projects you are working on?
Creating new academic tracks in Neuroscience and Global Health, and hopefully, Performing Arts.
Baelo Claudio - Spain
Why should someone choose Middlebury - C.V. Starr Schools Abroad over competitors?
Middlebury College is an organization with a long tradition of providing high-quality study abroad experiences in every way and on every level: academic, linguistic, and intercultural. Middlebury is always in the vanguard of study abroad and is the very best at combining language and culture in one program.
The Middlebury programs respect students' individual personalities and needs, as well as creating a space for them to explore and grow on their own terms. It is also at the forefront of teaching methodology for the best ways to learn and use languages.
Middlebury students return again and again to Spain, often bringing their own students and following the Middlebury language-learning paradigms to help their own students learn.
What is Middlebury - C.V. Starr Schools Abroad's mission and how do you continue to work toward it?
International Programs supports Middlebury’s commitment to immersive learning. A student’s study abroad experience should be an integral and coherent part of the academic program at Middlebury, enhancing the on-campus curriculum and supporting a liberal arts education.
To achieve these ends, Middlebury students study abroad on academically substantive programs that foster cultural engagement.
Every single decision that I make, every conversation that I have with students, faculty, and partner institutions, every minute of my time, and every ounce of my energy is directed to helping students have the very best linguistic and intercultural experience possible. I listen carefully to students and respond to each one based on their personal journey.
What makes Middlebury - C.V. Starr Schools Abroad special?
Language, language, language combined with culture, culture, culture through classroom and outside-of-classroom experiences. Also, dedicated staff members both in the US and on-site make the programs run smoothly.
What hopes do you have for the future for Middlebury - C.V. Starr Schools Abroad?
New academic directions.
Are there any developments with Middlebury - C.V. Starr Schools Abroad that you would like to share with us?
The program in Cordoba is becoming a destination for students who want a more authentic experience with excellent on-site support.
What makes Middlebury - C.V. Starr Schools Abroad easy to market to potential participants?
It really is what students are looking for.
Sometimes they need to see that it is not as daunting as it looks, but that is easy because we provide such strong student support while respecting their independence and autonomy.
Centro de Lenguas Modernas - Granada, Spain
What do you hope participants take away from your programs?
I sincerely hope, and usually see, that students gain much greater self-confidence in using the language. That is usually the most common observation at the end of the semester. I also hope that they come to feel that they have been successful in navigating and participating in a different culture from the inside, not just as an outside observer.
They may or may not change how they think and what they believe in, but I hope that they will at the very least examine their ideas through a new lens and then use that lens to make decisions that will affect their future.
Finally, I hope that participants learn how to help others to learn languages and to become more interculturally adept, passing on what they have learned.
Why is it important for people to travel abroad and experience new cultures?
Travel abroad is a critical step toward self-discovery and greater confidence in skills that they will use in their future.
Most people will need to work in an international context in the future, or at least with people of different cultures and languages. Travel abroad is no guarantee that people will change how they think or feel, but at least it is an opportunity to pose questions to oneself and to reconsider what one has always thought.
Meeting different people and listening to what they say can, sometimes, be a way to see others In a different light. There is nothing like putting oneself in someone else's shoes to help put one's own life in perspective. Walking a mile in the shoes of others is truly life-changing.
How do you help support participants?
By helping them find ways to integrate into the local language and culture.
If you could participate on one of Middlebury - C.V. Starr Schools Abroad's programs, where would you go and what would you do?
Japan. Learn the language and visit Japanese gardens.
What questions do participants often ask you, and how do you typically respond?
They often ask about my own background in language and study abroad. I think that they are interested in how and why someone from the States would move to a different country and how real, long-term immersion works.
Why do you think learning a new language is important?
It opens your mind to a different way of thinking and perceiving the world.
What does meaningful travel mean to you?
Meaningful travel means being open to completely unbiased observation and participation. It means putting your ideas and beliefs aside and then mixing new ideas and beliefs in with those you already possess.
It means meeting people of different ages, socioeconomic backgrounds, careers, and really getting to know them. It means taking every opportunity to use the language and explore why things are like they are in the local, regional, and national contexts.
Travel is more than just seeing monuments. It is using the five senses to perceive differences and to appreciate new sensations. Meaningful travel means breaking out of your box and letting light shine on new paths to take.
Bodegas Osborne - Jerez de la Frontera, Spain
What advice do you have for individuals thinking about going abroad?
Go anywhere, and the longer the stay, the better. Above all, learn the language before, during, and after, and use it to explore.
What issues do you see in the world of international education that don't line up with your values and expectations for mutually beneficial & educational relationships between programs and the communities in which they are located within?
Programs that do not prioritize learning the local language. Programs that do not facilitate or require that students carry out activities that immerse them in the culture. Programs that prioritize profit over meaningful learning.
What does ethical global engagement mean to you?
Be the best person possible in dealing with others. That means be open and tolerant, and treat others as you would have them treat you if the circumstances were reversed.
What hopes do you have for the future of international education?
More students, more language, more culture, and higher academic standards.
What qualities in program & host community relations are important to you? (And Middlebury - C.V. Starr Schools Abroad?)
It should be a close-knit community that involves host families, local university partners, and local businesses where students can intern. It should be a two-way street.
