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

Students also produced short French-language films, which were screened during the afternoon session. Wayne Valley High School took first place in the advanced “Tableaux Vivants” competition for “La Place de la Révolution,” while Cresskill High School earned second place for “Couper les limites.” In the “Poésie en images” contest for beginning and intermediate students, Ramsey High School earned first place for “Liberté” and third place for “Je veux retourner chez moi.” Bernardsville Middle School took second place for “La Marseillaise” and Ridge High School received an Honorable Mention for “Le Loup et le Chien.”

“I was truly impressed by the level of engagement and excitement on the part of all the local high school students and teachers participating in French Day,” said Dr. Kathleen Loysen, Chair of the Department of World Languages and Cultures. She also said “The French faculty at �鶹��ý���� appreciate this opportunity to share our knowledge of and love for the French language and Francophone history and culture. And I think the students themselves were pleasantly surprised to discover that the college classroom can be fun, interactive, and compelling, in addition to being challenging. Everyone rose to the occasion. The buzz was palpable!”

French is spoken on five continents, which underscores its significance as a global language and its value in the global workplace. For more information about future events at �鶹��ý����, please visit

What has been your favorite French class and why?
My favorite class has been : Structure of the French Language because it helped me understand French beyond everyday communication. I learned about the technical components of a language I already speak, such as syntax, phonology, and morphology. This class strengthened my analytical skills and changed the way I think about language as a structured system.

What do you like most about your French classes or the French learning community on campus?
What I like most is the supportive and motivating learning environment. French classes encourage active participation, discussion, and curiosity, which helps build confidence in speaking and understanding the language. The French learning community on campus also creates a sense of belonging among students who share a genuine interest in language and culture.

What is your favorite French word or phrase?
My favorite French phrase is « tout vient à point à qui sait attendre » that could be translated as everything comes in time to those who know how to wait. I like it because it emphasizes the value of patience and perseverance. The phrase reflects a timeless wisdom that effort and dedication are eventually rewarded, which resonates with both my academic journey and my approach to learning language.

How can you imagine you will use your French in the future?
I imagine using French both academically and professionally in the future. I plan to pursue graduate studies and become a professor, teaching French language and linguistics. I also hope to conduct research, contribute to academic discussions, and help future students develop a strong appreciation for the French language.

Students have used these scholarships to cover much of their tuition, housing, and even travel costs for the in which they take German courses alongside students from around the world, taking time to explore Neuschwanstein castle, the Alps, the BMW headquarters, and other sites along the way.

The students, many of whom choose to major or minor German and/or the interdisciplinary Language, Business & Culture (LBC) major with a concentration in German, return with three credits toward their major or minor as well as unforgettable experiences to take into their continued studies and careers in a variety of fields.

Hear From the Students

My summer experience in Munich was a life-changing experience that helped me learn more German than I did before and interact with people around the world. I had many first-time experiences, such as hiking, going to Austria, and experiencing nightlife. I had an amazing time and I thank the Kade Foundation for assisting in funding that experience for me. – Miguel Disla; Mathematics Major, German Minor

Fortunately, I had the opportunity to participate in the MISU’s summer program at München. Thanks to the Kade Foundation scholarship, I was able to improve my German through daily interactive lessons taught by Valeria. At first I did experience culture shock, but I learned to adapt and live here for the entirety of August. I am truly grateful for making unforgettable and fun memories with friends from around the world. –Ruth Fernandez; Language, Business & Culture and Business Administration Double Major

The Kade scholarship that I received helped me travel to Europe for the first time in my life. My experience changed me immensely and helped me gain insight into a new culture and experience. I also learned a lot about how much I like to travel and I also met many students from all over the world giving me connections to a plethora of different cultures. – Eric Anilonis; Economics Major, German minor

I am so thankful for the experience I had in Munich this summer; as my first time living away from home I felt independent and more ready to explore the world. I am thankful for the stipend as it allowed me more freedom to explore the culture and truly live out my international experience as fully as I could! – David Darius; Biology and German Double Major

My Munich summer experience was inspiring and allowed me to build lifelong connections to the language, culture and people. While there, I attended classes, interacted with locals, experienced historical landmarks and made connections with people from around the world.  – Madison Gunderman; Psychology 

I am a triple major with around 1 1/2 years of experience in learning German. This scholarship allowed me to pursue my dream of visiting Germany as well as support me in learning German. I was able to go to Austria for a weekend with friends and experience the culture and landscape over there. It was a lot of fun and I got to eat a lot of good food as well. This opportunity solidified my aspiration to work and study in Germany for my graduate program in geoscience. – Kit Haig; Earth and Environmental Sciences, Geographic, Environmental and Urban Studies, and German triple major

I’m majoring in linguistics and language, business, and culture with a German concentration. This scholarship has helped me complete my course requirements for my major concentration. It has also helped me gain first hand experience on what it is like to study in a foreign country, such as Konstanz, Germany, and gain insight on cultural differences and practices, learning history, etc. The most memorable experience for me was meeting and getting to know other fellow students from around the world, as well as meeting two new friends whom I’ll never forget. Studying abroad has increased my aspirations in traveling more to see the world, learn new languages and cultures, and looking forward to conducting more business travel. It also makes me aspire to meet new people from different backgrounds and create new friendships and connections for memorable experiences. – Ykaterina Diaz; Linguistics and Language, Business & Culture (concentration in German) double major

�ѴDzԳٳ���������’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 �鶹��ý����.

• 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 �ѴDzԳٳ���������’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.

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The event represented a powerful convergence of educational philosophies. Melenciano, who attended the gathering and spoke with the educators, later reflected on the unexpected resonance between Afrotectopia’s approach and Reggio Emilia principles: “A shared belief in pedagogy that begins as play — a rigorous yet porous method for imagination and inquiry,” she wrote. “Reggio Emilia centers the design of environments, forms of participation, and professional growth through organic, student-centered approaches. Values that deeply resonate with Afrotectopia. The creation of Black Metal, and much of Afrotectopia’s ethos overall, has been about designing the ‘container’ for imagination to thrive without a preset destination. Black Metal emerged from four aligned artists mind-melding and simply asking, ‘What’s possible?'”

Following the gallery experience, several participants who had traveled to Italy as part of an innovative Reggio Emilia immersion program (2024, 2025) at �鶹��ý���� shared reflections on how their international study informs their teaching practices. Through this program, designed and taught by Dr. Miele and Dr. Elizabeth Erwin (CEEL), two cohorts of MSU undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students have studied at the Loris Malaguzzi International Center in Reggio Emilia.

Miele has been engaged with progressive approaches to education, and Reggio Emilia in particular, since 2010. In 2016, she organized a widely attended panel on “The Reggio Emilia Approach: The U.S. School System’s Responses to an Italian Educational Philosophy” that drew educators from across New Jersey, covered extensively in La Voce di New York (, ). Saturday’s event attracted a similarly robust turnout, reflecting continued enthusiasm for child-centered pedagogy.

For more information about NJEEPRE, visit . The Age of Black Metal is on view at the George Segal Gallery through December 14.

The World Language and Culture programs at �鶹��ý���� build on this, standing out as some of the best in the country. A few examples:

• �ѴDzԳٳ���������’s French Program was in 2025 the sole university to be named as an by the American Association of Teachers of French (AATF).
• In 2025, German and French Professor Pascale LaFountain was awarded �ѴDzԳٳ���������’s first Presidential Excellence in Teaching Award as well as the national AATG award for Outstanding Post-Secondary Educator.
• Italian faculty member Enza Antenos has been named national Educator of the Year by the Italian Language Foundation, and the American Association of Teachers of Italian (AATI) has recognized Dr. Antenos with its national Distinguished Service Award in 2023.
• �ѴDzԳٳ���������’s German Program in 2020 became one of a very selective group of by the American Association of Teachers of German.
• Italian faculty members Marisa Trubiano and Teresa Fiore have both been named to the prestigious .

With the faculty frequently publishing on their teaching and cultural scholarship, and being invited to share their expertise around the country and the world, each faculty member is also fully committed to teaching and advising at all levels.

Italian Professor Marisa Trubiano notes, “In my twenty-five years of teaching here at �鶹��ý����, every new semester has brought together an exciting, challenging, inquisitive new group of young people into a community of inquiry that it has been a privilege to teach. These students’ intellectual and professional development is always first and foremost on our minds as we all find innovative ways to facilitate and support their growth and readiness for our rapidly changing world.”

Many students choose to double major in Arabic, Asian Languages, French, German, or Italian alongside majors in business, sciences, humanities, education and the arts. While participating in World Language and Culture programs, students engage in collaborative and community-building projects such as the Haitian Poetry Project, Teaching German in the SPARK for German Teaching Lab, performing theater in Italy, and capstone courses in Language, Business & Culture featuring conversations with business leaders applying their language skills for career success.

After graduation, many students take on positions in international companies, win international Fulbright grants after graduation, or pursue advanced degrees.

With its standout programs in World Languages and Cultures, �鶹��ý���� significantly contributes to preparing the next generation of globally ready diplomats, entrepreneurs, teachers, and innovators.

AATF’s Exemplary Programs Awards recognize outstanding French language instruction across elementary, middle, high school, and post-secondary institutions nationwide. Honorees serve as models for other programs and are characterized by healthy enrollment, extended language sequences, qualified instructors, ongoing professional development, innovative teaching practices, and strong connections to their communities.

In its announcement, AATF highlighted �ѴDzԳٳ���������’s large number of majors and minors, its three undergraduate tracks and the variety within its master’s degree, as well as the faculty’s active professional engagement. The association also praised the program’s Career Hub for International Language Learning (CHILL), its innovative course co-taught with the University of Bordeaux, and its outreach to secondary schools, notably through yearly French immersion workshops.

French students and faculty in front of the Petit Prince statue at the French Embassy in New York

“We are delighted to be named an Exemplary French program, an honor that recognizes the remarkable synergy and talents of French-speaking partners at the University and in the surrounding area,” says Elizabeth Emery, Professor of French, Graduate Program Coordinator. “We are incredibly proud of our community, whose members hail from more than fifteen countries where French is spoken and whose generous contributions to developing cultural and linguistic programming have directly resulted in this recognition.”

Graduates of the program are finding success in diverse careers, from education and translation to broadcasting, international business and public service. Gabriel Albaret ‘12, who works primarily with African countries at The Global Fund, attaches “great value to my education at MSU and particularly the French program. It helped me broaden my horizons to not only how I can interact and learn from the francophones of France, but all over the world. French is used in around 50 countries and all continents except Antarctica.”

“�鶹��ý���� truly prepared me for an enriching and enlightening career as a French teacher in New Jersey,” says Jennifer Applegate Schwester ‘94, Brick Township Memorial High School, President, American Association of Teachers of French- NJ chapter (AATF-NJ), “I just began year 27 and am still going strong!”

�鶹��ý����’s French Program continues to stand out for its commitment to student success, innovative programming, and deep engagement with communities at home and abroad. The AATF designation affirms the program’s long-standing commitment to excellence in language education and leadership in shaping the next generation of French speakers and global citizens.

Ready to Start Your �鶹��ý���� Journey?

• Prospective Students and Parents: Learn about �鶹��ý���� admissions, our French Program and the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. Plan your visit and take your first step in applying to become a Red Hawk!