The scholarship will support Roby’s participation in an intensive, immersive eight-week summer program in Mandarin at Tamkang University in New Taipei City, Taiwan, where participants complete the equivalent of one year of language study. During the program, he will live with a host family, meet regularly with a language exchange partner on campus, and immerse himself in the sights, sounds, and rhythms of the local community. Following the program, he hopes to continue his studies at National Taiwan University’s International Chinese Language Learning Program for the academic year and the following summer term. He has also considered the possibility of living in Taiwan long-term by pursuing a master’s degree in Political Science at National Taiwan University and seeking employment in a Chinese-speaking environment.

I am deeply grateful for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to further develop my Chinese language skills. Wherever I ultimately go, I am confident that the language training I have received at ����vlog, along with the experiences provided by the U.S. Department of State’s Critical Language Scholarship and National Taiwan University, will prepare me to use Chinese effectively in my career and continue developing my skills to their fullest potential.
—Jacob Roby

His achievement highlights the strength of ����vlog’s language programs in fostering student success and advancing global understanding and engagement. This milestone marks the second time a Chinese minor at Montclair has been awarded the Critical Language Scholarship. To learn more about the scholarship, visit

As an international student from Mexico, she was drawn to Montclair’s computing program and the chance to build a tech career. After she excelled in a German language course, that success became the first step toward building multiple degrees, as faculty encouraged her to add German, explore linguistics and step into teaching and research roles she had never considered. She even turned her work with children in German into a research project on how programs like the SPARK Lab influence college students’ interest in teaching.

“One of the most important things I’ve learned at Montclair is that you don’t have to limit yourself to just one thing,” Zarate Gonzalez says.

At Montclair’s SPARK Lab, Isabella Zarate Gonzalez collaborates with fellow students to plan German lessons for local schoolchildren as part of a national ‘SPARK for German’ teaching network. (Photo by University Photographer Mike Peters)

Community‑engaged learning that opens doors

The SPARK Lab is a partnership between Montclair and nearby schools, giving children early access to world languages while mentoring college students into community‑focused leadership roles. It is part of a national network supported by the . Zarate Gonzalez is among the students who teach German to elementary school children one hour a week for six weeks each semester, including a Meistergruppe for kids who speak German as a heritage language.

Children in Montclair’s SPARK Lab listen to German fairy tales. (Photo by University Photographer Mike Peters)

As part of a multi‑university research project with the University of Tennessee Knoxville, the University of St. Thomas and the University of Chicago, she led data collection and analysis on how SPARK affects college students. She focused on whether experiences like the SPARK Lab encourage students to consider teaching German and what broadly applicable professional skills they gain, surveying Montclair’s student instructors about their motivations and how teaching had changed their career plans.

The research findings, co‑authored with faculty and collaborators at the four campuses, were and presented at the 2023 American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages conference in Chicago.

At Montclair, Isabella Zarate Gonzalez found support to grow a single major into three degrees – Data Science, Language, Business and Culture, and German – plus a minor in Linguistics. (Photo by University Photographer Mike Peters)

Studying abroad with scholarship support

Scholarship support opened the world for Zarate Gonzalez.

Through the  Montclair–Graz Sister City Scholarship, she spent the 2024–25 academic year studying in Graz, Austria. The full scholarship, funded by ����vlog, Montclair’s Overseas Neighbors and the City of Graz, provides free tuition, room and a small stipend and sends two Montclair undergraduates each year to study in Montclair’s sister city.

Montclair’s status as a Hispanic‑Serving Institution also helped her win a full scholarship to Middlebury’s prestigious German Language School, a summer immersion program.

“There aren’t a lot of people who can say, ‘This university allowed me to do three bachelor’s degrees, win full scholarships and study abroad in Europe,’” she says.

Isabella Zarate Gonzalez talks with Associate Professor Pascale LaFountain in Montclair’s SPARK Lab. In addition to their work there, Zarate Gonzalez joined LaFountain on a translation project for an archive of Austrian Jewish history. (Photo by University Photographer Mike Peters)

Hands-on research and a peek into history

Advanced language study also led Zarate Gonzalez into meaningful work and helped her discover the academic field that ties her interests together. With Associate Professor Pascale LaFountain and local resident Diane Forman, she worked on a translation project for an extraordinary archive of Austrian Jewish history centered on Forman’s grandfather, composer Wilhelm Grosz.

The team organized and translated Grosz’s letters – including correspondence with figures such as Leonard Bernstein and Langston Hughes – along with his musical manuscripts, Nazi‑era property documents and personal library, preparing the materials for the Exil.arte Jewish music archive in Austria.

For Zarate Gonzalez, working so closely with those documents made the Holocaust feel personal and showed her how language skills and data‑driven thinking could come together in fields like Computational Linguistics.

Looking ahead

When Zarate Gonzalez graduates in May 2026, she will have earned degrees in Data Science; Language, Business and Culture; and German, plus a minor in Linguistics – all completed in four years.

Now, as she looks ahead, she is exploring teaching opportunities in both German and STEM fields and planning for a future master’s program in Computational Linguistics.

“I think about what would have happened if I had chosen not to come to Montclair,” she says. “My life would be completely different. I genuinely believe I got the most out of it.”

Ready to start your Montclair journey? Learn more about the College of Science and Mathematics and the Department of World Languages and Cultures at Montclair.

Accepted students: Make it official by submitting your new student deposit and registering to attend Accepted Students Day.

Montclair’s students have won coveted spots at the GSE three years running and have frequently gone on to pursue graduate study or international scholarships upon completing their BAs at Montclair.

• Ath-Yah Brathwaite, a 2023 GSE winner, stayed in touch with other graduate student prospective students after her travel workshop, was accepted with graduate assistantships and full tuition waiver at several German Studies MA and Ph.D. programs across the country, and has begun her masters degree at the University of Maryland in College Park.

• Bailey Dunn received a upon graduation and is spending the 2025-2026 academic year in Austria while also working on an online masters in creative writing at Johns Hopkins University.

• Avelisse Guzman is currently doing a prestigious Fulbright grant-funded year in Germany and is considering various teaching and/or graduate study options after her Fulbright grant is completed.

• Jack McCabe is currently considering a variety of travel and study plans, many of which are tied to scholarships, grants, and paid assistantships in the United States or Europe. He describes his participation in the summer program as one of his richest undergraduate experiences and looks forward to further building on his experience with applied German language, culture, and historical work.

These students, like others pursuing a German major or minor or a Language, Business & Culture major with a concentration in German with Montclair’s German program, each got to participate in a study abroad experience. They each complete their undergraduate studies poised to pursue international careers, intercultural leadership roles at international corporations, teaching, or a variety of other careers in which they apply their language, communication, and intercultural expertise.

Emmanuelle was enthusiastic about her participation in the competition.

Participating in the Chinese Bridge Competition (Eastern U.S. Region), hosted by the China Institute in America, was an enriching and enlightening experience. I had the opportunity to learn from other talented contestants in the college student group, gaining new perspectives through their speeches, cultural performances, and interactions with the judges.

This experience helped me reflect on my strengths and identify areas for growth. It also inspired me to continue deepening my study of the Chinese language and culture.

I’m especially grateful to my Chinese teachers at Montclair, who supported and guided me every step of the way.

The Department of World Languages and Cultures is incredibly proud of Emmanuelle’s achievement and looks forward to seeing her continue to excel in her studies and cultural pursuits.

In spring 2025, this included an evening at a NJ Devils professional hockey game to try to see some of the Swiss and German players on the ice, a day at the Austrian art museum to view Gustav Klimt masterpieces, a lunch at the shop celebrating Turkish-German cuisine, and a full day at to trace over 100 years of European immigration history and meet up with a friend of the German department currently writing a book about the history of the Ellis Island hospital.

Some of these outings were funded by the German Club, a Registered Student Organization of the Student Government Association, and others were funded by generous  friends or alums of of the German program eager to give the next generation of students access to international cultural explorations. In general, these funds covered tickets, train, ferry rides, and meals, with the only costs to students being subway tickets.

Students and faculty benefit not only from the historical and cultural perspective that these trips provide, but also from the camaraderie and travel confidence that one finds in a day on the road. Professor Pascale LaFountain was recently awarded Montclair’s first Presidential Excellence Award for teaching in part for her hands-on teaching style.

I am so proud of the students who have begun German from scratch in our program and used that new passion to win Middlebury summer school full-ride scholarships, Fulbright teaching grants to Germany, Fulbright Austria teaching fellowships, and more. Each of those pathways started in German courses and on joining exploratory trips like these.
– Professor LaFountain

Professor LaFountain and Professor Thomas Herold look forward to meeting up with the 15 students participating in this summer’s August in Munich program and Dr. Herold is anxiously planning his spring 2026 faculty-led trip to Berlin and Munich as part of a historical course on Nazi Cinema and Propaganda, which examines the intersection of art and political manipulation, including visits to film studios, concentration camp memorials, and more. In 2024, Dr. Herold took 17 students on a similar faculty-led course, including a visit to his hometown in Nürnberg, home of the historic post-WWII Nürnberg trials. Gute Reise!

The Semester at Sea program is dedicated to fostering global understanding and international exploration. The C.Y. Tung Scholarship will help cover expenses for the shipboard education experience, which offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to study while sailing to 12 cities in 11 countries across three continents. Destinations for the upcoming voyage include the Netherlands, France, Ghana, India, Hong Kong, Thailand, and more.

Pamela expressed deep gratitude for the opportunity and those who helped make it possible:

“I’m incredibly honored to have received the C.Y. Tung Scholarship to participate in the Semester at Sea program. As a first-generation Mexican-American college student, this opportunity means more to me than words can express. Growing up, Spanish was my first language, and I often struggled with English proficiency. That experience deeply shaped my identity and inspired my passion for storytelling to highlight both the challenges and the beauty of underrepresented cultures.

As an Asian Languages minor, learning Chinese and Korean has opened my eyes to the richness of other communities and deepened my appreciation for cultural exchange. These languages, and the communities around them, have inspired me to become a bridge between cultures and to celebrate diversity through meaningful dialogue and inclusion.

The chance to travel the world through Semester at Sea is truly a dream come true—one made possible by years of hard work and the support of my mentors, peers, and family. I’m excited to take this journey, expand my worldview, and carry these experiences with me as I continue growing as both a student and a storyteller.”

She also acknowledged the vital role of the Office of International Academic Initiatives in encouraging her to pursue the program, noting that her study abroad advisors were “a huge inspiration” in her decision to apply for the program.

The Asian Languages programs congratulate Pamela on her accomplishment and wish her all the best on this exciting journey of academic and personal growth.

Teams, co-coached by World Language faculty and students, played fast-paced 20-minute games in a round-robin format. Arabic faculty member Mazooz Sehwail and experienced recreational soccer students refereed the games with objectivity and precision. Teams were well-matched with scores often fluctuating until the final minutes. German faculty member Pascale LaFountain notes, “I love the camaraderie. Even on our diverse campus I think sometimes people come to the field with some cultural stereotypes. The soccer field really brings people together across identity groups and connects through a shared love for the sport.”

The field was lined with avid fans displaying flags from around the world, cheering for teams in a harmony of languages, sharing summer travel tips for world explorations, discussing study abroad plans, taking final pre-graduation selfies, and enjoying pizza with their teams. Faculty and their families, world language classmates, and friends all joined to support the students. This program is part of Montclair World Languages’ commitment to bringing language learning beyond the classroom, which the program does through a lively schedule of co-curricular activities, , , and career planning opportunities.

“Regardless of their background, major, language, gender, or experience level, everyone is so respectful on the pitch,” says LaFountain. “Maybe the World Cup could even learn something from these students!”

Winning the International Soccer Tournament Trophy from the French/Francophone team, the 2025 winners were the Arabic team! Yalla yalla! The Arabic faculty will display the trophy with honor … until it returns to the field next year as part of the warmup to the World Cup festivities.

Left: Professor Mazooz Sehwail poses with the trophy. Right: Students on the winning Arabic team pose together with Professor Sehwail.

Information sessions for the 2026 cohort will be held in May, July, and September. In November 2025, Dr. Miele, in collaboration with the ����vlog Galleries will host a workshop on campus with NJEEPRE (). The event will bring Reggio-inspired educators from all over the state to campus and give faculty and students an opportunity to network and continue learning about the Reggio approach to education.

Jasia attends Montclair because of her passion for Chinese. She states, “Learning Chinese and becoming proficient in it has become my lifelong journey. I first decided to come to ����vlog because it allowed me to learn Chinese. Getting to take classes with the teachers at Xi’an University allowed me to further my studies. I can’t even express how much of a wonderful opportunity it is.” Tyler was surprised by the opportunity that the scholarship provided: “I decided to take Chinese for my world language requirement because I wanted to better appreciate classic Chinese literature and philosophy. Getting the opportunity to take lessons with Shandong University was an unexpected blessing.”

Additionally, Minami Gonzalez, Anthropology major and triple minor in Asian Languages, Asian Studies, and Japanese at ����vlog, successfully completed the Teacher Certificate Program: Understand Chinese Culture and Practice jointly offered by the China Institute in America and East China Normal University. Certificate requirements for this program involved either attending six out of nine virtual workshops offered via Zoom, or completing one of two in-person workshops offered at the China Institute location in NYC on pedagogy for K-12 educators; Minami selected the former option.

The students’ dedication and hard work have truly paid off, as evidenced by their successful completion of their courses and the well-deserved certificates they have earned.
Congratulations to them all!

Since 2021 Dr. Marisa Trubiano, Associate Professor of Italian, and Dr. AJ Kelton, Director of the CHSS Digital Co-Lab, have been collaborating on a unique research project. The Digital CoLab team has created and manages a learning experience module on the free software program ArcGIS StoryMap, and each semester, together they measure how students use ArcGIS storymapping: 1) to map out their self-identities and experiences and to understand those of others; 2) to become more attuned to and appreciative of diverse transnational linguistic and cultural experiences and 3) to become effective digital story-mappers and -tellers in both the target language of Italian and in English. Drs. Trubiano and Kelton assess the changes in students’ reflections about new spaces in which languages and people merge, at a time when social isolation is more pronounced than ever.

This project also seeks to enrich the conversation around language learning technology. Effective digital storytelling and data visualization are skills that can enhance a student’s ICC by breaking down perceived barriers and understanding the dynamics of peoples’ and languacultures’ merging in virtual and physical piazze. Students enhance both their global fluency and their digital fluency through this mapping work.

Anonymous student surveys reveal that students’ appreciation for the linguistic diversity of their class generally increases due to this project and their peers’ presentations. In addition, their responses reflect a heightened awareness for links between languages, place, and individual and community identity formation.

Below are some StoryMaps from ITAL 102 section 01, Spring 2024. They are remarkable for their authors’ heartfelt stories and visual recreations of linguistic, cultural and personal experiences in specific places important to each of them.

Anxhelina Banushi:

Liana Nativo:

Melissa Motta Lopez:

Rosanna Hefter: