Beyond Words
Language, culture, travel, and stories from the Speak! community
Spanish Student Spotlight: Donna and Jim Horn
“We are excited to continue working with John and Christina and feel that they are on this journey with us!”
Student Spotlight: HISTORY PROF. DAVID SINGERMAN - AND HIS BABY DAUGHTER!
“Being conversant in another language opens your view of the world, and I really missed that feeling. I found it such a joy to be immersed in another linguistic world, and my lessons with Paola were the hour I looked forward to most every week.“
David Singerman, Professor of History
Student Spotlight: JEFF'S SPANISH ADVENTURE
“During my travels, I always wished I could speak to people in their own language. I thought that if I learned Spanish, I might be more likely to use it in other countries and in our own, and therefore to remember it“
Jeff Leopold, Darden School of Business
Student Spotlight: PHILIP'S GAP YEAR SPANISH JOURNEY
“My pandemic experience has been all-but-consistent, but having daily classes with Alejandra (or even a less intense but still regular schedule in the fall) vastly helped me through this year..“
Philip DiMeglio, Undergraduate
Student Spotlight: ERIC AND OLIVIA (FATHER-DAUGHTER SPANISH, INDIVIDUAL CZECH)
We had the pleasure of meeting Eric Ramirez-Weaver, Associate Professor of Art at the University of Virginia in 2017, when he began what was to become a 1.5 year individual Polish language course. In 2018, he decided to switch his Slavic focus to Czech, learning online with our Prague-based instructor, Jan. This past fall, Eric and his daughter, Olivia, decided to use their time at home to craft a Spanish silver lining, taking online Spanish lessons together with one of our stellar teachers, Paula Mercado.
Student Spotlight: Will
“I want to keep working with Theresa until I graduate, by which time I hope to be proficient. Recently I have been doing some Portuguese on Duolingo, and I would also like to learn German someday.”
Student Spotlight: RYAN'S STORY
“… me and my wife attend Spanish mass sometimes at Church of the Incarnation in Charlottesville. I was surprised how much more I could understand at mass after I started class at Speak!.“
Student Spotlight: KATHLEEN BOROWITZ
“Just being able to enter the patient’s room and introduce myself and my role in Spanish makes a huge difference in establishing trust and acceptance.“
Kathleen Borowitz, UVA Health