Meet 7-week Spanish Immersion Student: Julia Driscoll
Julia Driscoll, a dual-degree graduate student in International Human Rights and MSW at the University of Denver, uses the newfound confidence she gained at our School of Spanish to better connect with the refugees with whom she works.
Hometown: Oconomowoc, WI
Program: 7-week Immersion
Current: University of Denver, Dual-Degree Graduate, International Human Rights and MSW, 2026
What surprised you about your experience at the Middlebury Language Schools?
The diversity of culture and experience within the student body and the professors. This provided the space to learn from a wider variety of perspectives of life in Spanish speaking communities as well as other people’s interactions WITH people in those communities.
Why did you choose to study at the Middlebury Language Schools?
One of my dear friends participated in the Spanish School *level 1* quite some time ago. I actually began my relationship with Middlebury in the German MA program, but with a career switch I decided to start at the beginning level in the School of Spanish.
Please describe how your language skills improved due to your studies at Middlebury.
In the School of Spanish, I went from almost nothing to being able to hold a regular conversation.
Maybe not confidently, but comfortably and with acceptance that I would somehow be able to communicate my message. I have already been able to use my Spanish skills through working with refugees at the IRC. It was fun for me personally to try out the language in a “real life” setting. It also brought a smile to the families’ faces when I would struggle through a conversation, both because I was at least trying to communicate with them in their language and because they could see that I appreciated the language challenges that they themselves had been facing.
Is there anything else that you would like to let prospective students know about your experience?
Please participate in this program! It is incredibly unique and something that is impossible to truly understand until you’ve done it.
Many people ask me why I go to Vermont to learn a language instead of going to Mexico, Germany, etc. But the reality is that those communities will often want to learn English from you. Additionally, at Middlebury you receive the combination of structured language classes as well as practicing/learning in a more “natural” environment outside of the class hours.
Connect with Julia or one of our other School of Spanish ambassadors here.
Applications for Summer 2026 open on November 1.
Gather your materials to apply to our immersion and graduate programs today!
