Student Ambassadors
Speaking with a student ambassador is a great way to get a previous student’s perspective on the Language Schools experience.
If you would like to connect with a student ambassador to ask questions, please contact the School of Hebrew at hebrew-ls@middlebury.edu.
KMarie Tejeda
Hometown: Boston, MA
Program: 7-week Immersion
Current: Boston University, Graduate, Ph.D. Program of Religion, 2026
Why did you choose to study at the Middlebury Language Schools?
My Hebrew teacher recommended me to attend Middlebury Language Schools because although I had two years of studying Modern Hebrew in the past,I couldn’t understand and speak the language.
Describe a typical day at Middlebury.
A typical day at Middlebury would be waking up early in the morning, take a shower, go to each breakfast, go to class until noon, getting help with our homework, attend various fun extracurricular activities–or having time for yourself–having breakfast, and in the evening eating dinner, and engage either in more extracurricular activities or be in your room finishing homework if you haven’t done so. Over the weekend, there are several extracurricular fun activities, or some people might go to the nearest cities for internal tourism.
What other language learning opportunities have you had? How would you compare this experience to Middlebury?
I studied Modern Hebrew during my undergraduate and master’s studies. However, I couldn’t understand or speak the language until I came to Middlebury. Modern Hebrew is still a challenge for me, but I can communicate and engage with people who speak the language after Middlebury.
Naomi Zipursky
Hometown: Omaha, NE
Program: 7-week Immersion
Current: Hebrew College Rabbinical School, Graduate, Pursuing Rabbinic Ordination, 2028
Why did you choose to study at the Middlebury Language Schools?
When I learned I needed to boost my Hebrew skills in order to begin my studies at rabbinical school, every person I spoke with told me doing so at the School of Hebrew was my only option. And they were right!
What surprised you about your experience at the Middlebury Language Schools?
What surprised me most about my experience here was how much laughter and joy can come from being in an incredibly challenging environment. When I couldn’t determine how to say I wanted to say or when my teachers would correct every other word out of my mouth, it would be easy to be discouraged. And yet inevitably, these moments would be met with laughter, smiles from everyone involved, and immense compassion and understanding. The Language Pledge is hard and yet when we’re all in it together, we get to share the immense joy of learning together, while not being alone in the hard parts.
Describe how your language skills improved at Middlebury.
Going into my first summer at Middlebury, I felt as though I was a complete beginner. While I knew the Hebrew alphabet and a few basic phrases like, “I need help” and “I don’t understand.” At the end of the summer, not only was I able to participate fully in conversations, speaking and understanding what was going on, but also I began to understand jokes, could tell longer stories in Hebrew, and could read fluently. The reading, writing, and grammar comprehension was essential for my studies in rabbinical school.
Advice to future students.
Attending a Middlebury Language Schools might be one of the hardest things you will choose to do for yourself. And yet, if you have the opportunity, attending a Middlebury Language Schools will be one of the greatest gifts you will give yourself. Taking the Language Pledge and learning at Middlebury is hard, and it’s also beautiful, empowering, fun, meaningful, and truly the best way to spend a summer.