‘Modern Languages, Literature, and Cultures’ Category

Lily-Marie Antoine ’26

“The French department is a welcoming and educational space with an amazing staff and student body.” As a Biology major pursuing a veterinary career, Lily-Marie decided to pursue an additional French major due to an interest in the language and culture. Previously attending a French immersion school, Lily-Marie wanted to continue learning the language, as […]

Dr. Sharon Marquart

“Charlotte Delbo and Writing and Reading the Holocaust – Listen to the Learning for Life Podcast” Dr. Sharon Marquart of the Gustavus Department of Modern Foreign Languages, Literatures, and Cultures and Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies (GWSS) program converses about her background and path from initial biology major to BA and PhD in French and eventually Gustavus […]

Sigrid Rohrer ’26

“We encourage each other to deepen our understanding of the topics of our classes and I couldn’t be happier to be in such a collaborative environment for language learning.” Sigrid decided to major in French in addition to a major in Biology due to a love for the French language and an interest in learning […]

Angela Erickson ’01

What Does It Mean To Be a “Gustie For Life”? When Erickson was looking at colleges, she thought Gustavus wasn’t an option. “I didn’t think I had the resources to attend a private school,” she says. “But my high school counselor said that Gustavus would support me.” That counselor was right. Erickson’s financial aid package […]

Nikita Sandstrom ’23

“The language classes are a well-balanced mix of academic and modern terms so while you can understand the base, there are modern terms mixed in so a student such as I can hold conversations and navigate a modern Eastern Europe.” As someone who is half Ukrainian and grew up speaking Russian and Ukrainian, Nikita decided […]

Andrea Cruz Bracamontez ’24

“I’ve been motivated by many professors in the Modern Languages Department to pursue leadership opportunities both on-campus and off-campus.” Having parents who are immigrants from Puebla, Mexico,  Andrea chose to major in Spanish to “get a better understanding of the cultural and linguistic components of the Spanish language.” Her Spanish and LALACS courses, as well […]

Michaela Woodward ’23

“From study abroad, to internships, to on-campus opportunities, the professors in the MLLC department are always supportive of their students and have their best interests in mind.” Michaela is a senior Spanish, LALACS, and Film Studies major and Russian & Eastern European Studies minor from Greenville, Wisconsin. Her curiosity for the Spanish language initially began […]

Jorge Koenen ’25

“The professors’ aim is to make the learning environment safe and welcoming to facilitate an environment that is optimal for learning.” Jorge was drawn to the Spanish major at Gustavus as someone who grew up speaking Spanish. Being born in Guatemala, he says, “I enjoy learning about the diverse cultures of Spanish-speaking countries.” Jorge is […]

Mel Pardock ’25

“The department works hard to ensure that students are learning in a way that leaves a lasting impact and the community is full of kind, intelligent, encouraging  people that want to ensure that you are experiencing the language and culture you are studying fully.” Mel was initially drawn to Gustavus with intentions of pursuing a […]

Sara Baxter ’23

“Studying abroad gave me opportunities to dive deeper into subjects on Japanese culture.” Sara, a senior from Wisconsin, was interested in studying languages even before coming to Gustavus, learning Italian as a hobby when she was a child. She started taking Japanese language courses in high school and really enjoyed it, and she knew that […]