Meet 8-week Japanese Immersion Student: Johnathan Vazquezcook
U.S. Marine Johnathan Vazquezcook, currently stationed in Okinawa, Japan, can now hold a basic conversation in Japanese after attending our School of Japanese: Level 1. Our dedicated faculty and staff ensured he was never afraid to stumble and helped make every interaction feel meaningful.
Johnathan Vazquezcook
Hometown: Atlanta, GA
Program: 8-week Japanese Immersion
Current: Active Duty U.S. Marine, III Marine Expeditionary Force, currently stationed in Okinawa, Japan
What surprised you about your experience at the School of Japanese?
The dedication and patience of the School of Japanese faculty. Being a Level 1 student in an immersion program is pretty intimidating, but the professors made every interaction feel meaningful. They were very gracious if we made mistakes and always pushed me to try new grammar and vocabulary.
Why did you come to study at the Middlebury Language Schools?
I’ve been stationed in Okinawa for years, but I’ve spent a lot of that time working in countries outside of Japan, so I never actually had the need to fully learn the language. My next position involves working closely with my Japanese counterparts, so the 8-week summer program was a perfect way to kickstart my Japanese language studies.
Please describe how your language skills improved due to your studies at Middlebury.
I had a basic comprehension of the language prior to attending Middlebury, but I was completely illiterate in Hiragana, Katakana, and Kanji. I can now read and write (which is pretty awesome), and I gained a great foundation to improve upon. Living in Okinawa gives me a unique opportunity to go home and immediately implement what I was taught here in my day-to-day business.
I was not conversational at all before attending, and now I can hold my own in a basic conversation!
What makes the School of Japanese a unique environment to learn the language?
The immersion forces you to apply something that you may have learned in class the day prior. The faculty also does a great job with leading clubs/groups, and hosting events to stimulate interaction between students outside of the periods of instruction.
You make friends and you naturally want to be able to communicate with them on a daily basis, so it almost becomes a group effort, where everyone is helping everyone else progress.
What advice would you give someone wanting to attend the School of Japanese?
Don’t be afraid to stumble! Everyone is welcoming and the great thing about the returning students in the higher levels, is that they get it, and they will help you. Don’t be afraid to interact. Make as many friends as possible. Talk to as many people as possible.
You will learn to stretch your language skills by interacting with various students and faculty who provide different insights.
Describe your typical day at Middlebury.
I normally woke up early to run the Trail Around Middlebury (TAM) every morning, and afterwards I would go to breakfast. Classes were from 0800-1200, and on some days, I would attend volleyball or one of the various clubs available after class.
On most days, after class I would eat lunch with everyone and then hit the gym (the fitness facilities are great). From there, I would normally head to the library or the student center to do homework and study with my buddies. Dinner was around 6:30pm, and after that I would pretty much be along for the ride with whatever my fellow classmates wanted to get up to.
Gather your materials to apply to our MAT, MA, or immersion programs at the School of Japanese.
Applications for Summer 2026 open on November 3, 2025.
