Michael Rolland

BA, Italian

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

As an undergraduate, Michael Rolland studied Italian abroad. After graduation, he went to Spain for two years to teach English and study Spanish.

“Once I came back,” Michael says, “I realized that I wanted to go on and do graduate studies in Italian and Spanish. So I decided to pursue the MA in Mediterranean Studies at Middlebury. It’s a way for me to go back to Italy, to integrate my Spanish and Italian, and to attain the same level of fluency in both.” After Middlebury, Michael plans to pursue his doctorate in Romance languages.

Monica Lee

BA, Romance Languages & Literatures
University of Chicago

Developing an in-depth understanding of the Mediterranean means undertaking a thorough exploration of historical and contemporary culture as well as experiencing the region's diversity firsthand. The ability to do both of those things convinced Monica Lee to choose Middlebury's Mediterranean Studies program.

"I was drawn to Middlebury because it would allow me to study both Spanish and French, from a cultural, historical, and political perspective," Monica says. "Middlebury provides students with a wide array of courses and program options, and this versatility, combined with the rigor of the Language Pledge, truly sets its programs apart."