Fin * 終わり * Ende * 끝 * 结束 * Amaiera * نهاية * Finis * 🐾
Bravo, Bilingual Broncos! We are proud of all the hard work you’ve done in your target languages this spring. We are so glad you chose to start or continue your language journey with us!
The May newsletter is packed (no surprise here) with student and faculty achievements and end-of-year celebrations. We are also thrilled to share a brand new World Languages Scholarship opportunity with our students! Read on to unpack all the good stuff we have going on this month.
Last Minute Reminders: Conversation labs are done! Your instructor will have access to our grade books and will calculate your final grades based on your attendance at 14 labs this semester. Please email your instructor or wlrc@boisestate.edu with any questions.
Don’t forget to sign up for summer language classes! Options are listed following this.
Congrats to our Grads! 🎓 Have a great summer, Broncos. 🥾
New Scholarship Alert! Introducing the Global Thinker World Languages Scholarship for Study Abroad & Community Engagement
World Languages is offering a NEW scholarship for World Languages majors and minors this coming fall! This scholarship supports students pursuing a major or minor in any of our World Languages, who plan to engage with the global community and/or study abroad during their studies at Boise State University.
Awards for this scholarship range from $500 to $1000. For more information and to apply, email worldlanguages@boisestate.edu with the subject line “Global Thinker“.
Student News
Two World Languages Students Awarded Fulbright Scholarships to Pursue Research and Study in Europe
Basque Language Conversation Assistant Elena Rielinger received a Fulbright Schuman Award for 2026-27 to conduct research in the Basque Country on language use in immigrant communities. She is thrilled to be able to continue her Basque studies after leaving Boise State. Elena is graduating this spring with a Bachelor’s Degree in Linguistics and Interdisciplinary Studies, with emphases in Anthropology, Basque Studies and User Experience Research. Check out her Lightning Talk at the Undergraduate Research Showcase on Basque Language maintenance in the diaspora using the following URS 2026 link button. The WLRC will miss you, Elena!
German Certificate-holder and Boise State Top 10 Scholar Leah Engle will head to Germany for a Master’s degree. Leah will graduate with a BA in Global Studies, International Governance and Development Emphasis with a Minor in Refugee Studies and a Certificate in Intermediate German, was recently awarded a Fulbright scholarship to pursue a master’s degree in Germany.
Of this new adventure, Leah says, “I am beyond blessed to be a recipient of the Fulbright Award and am eager to be a representative of the United States and Boise State University as I embark on my next chapter in Germany!”
After interpreting for many years for medical doctors in rural areas of Peru, Joshua Lenz took SPAN 481 and began his journey toward becoming one of Idaho’s newest conditionally approved court interpreters. Since 2025, he has been providing language services through the Idaho Supreme Court to counties across the state.
Tristan Contreras, a WLRC Lab Assistant in Spring 2025, is a French Major with minors in Arabic and Spanish, and an Elementary Korean Certificate. He has been accepted to the M.S. in Translation and Interpretation program at New York University. Félicitations, Tristan!
Spanish majors Jocelyn Duarte and Rachel Taylor volunteered as Spanish<>English interpreters for the Love Heals Free Clinic, which provides medical, dental, and vision services to low-income, uninsured individuals. Students who have taken or are enrolled in SPAN 481 or SPAN 482 and are interested in volunteering for clinics in August and October can contact Fatima Cornwall at fcornwal@boisestate.edu.
Six Latin 320 students presented original research at the Undergraduate Research Showcase (April 24)
Jaimie Schmitt led the project, titled “Naming the Underworld: Inferos and the Harrowing of Hell in Peter Comestor’s Historia Scholastica,” with co-contributors Michael Compton, Mary Dittman, Alex Hale, Makena Walsh, and Noah Wojcik.
Sofia Blenkinsop, a senior Interdisciplinary Studies major and World Languages student, recently presented a research poster at Boise State’s Undergraduate Research Showcase on April 24 on the topic of governmental web accessibility in Idaho. This research project serves as a snapshot of the accessibility status of nearly 300 city, county, and state websites (as of April 2026) from all across the state of Idaho, ultimately indicating areas where the creation, or further strengthening of, web-based accessibility tools could be fostered. The data serving as the basis of this project was gathered through the search of websites representing 28 state agencies, alongside those of Idaho’s 44 counties and 198 incorporated cities. Each website was evaluated for the presence (and type or extent, if applicable) of language translation tools, language access plans, ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) Title II compliance statements, and forms of contact provided for the purpose of public feedback or questions. Substantial gaps in basic web accessibility were identified among the majority of local (city and county) webpages, thus highlighting potential areas of improvement in Idaho’s overall governmental web accessibility moving forward.
World Languages Honor Society Alpha Mu Gamma Recognizes New Members
AMG has initiated five new members in the spring of 2026! Watch the video to see their journey and a message from World Languages Chair Jason Herbeck. For questions regarding AMG, email fatimacornwall@boisestate.edu
Faculty Updates
Spanish Professor Manuel Gòmez-Navarro was nominated for the 2025-2026 Boise State University Presidential Innovation 💡 Award for the Boise Depot 🚂 VT project! ¡Felicitaciones!
The team recently wrapped up their greenscreen sessions with a 1920s historical reenactment. Rulon Wood from Film and TV Studies handled the recording. Manuel thanks Karen Bledsoe, the Boise Depot tour team, and the City of Boise for their support and enthusiasm. A big thank you also goes to everyone who attended dressed in costume and many other GIMM students.
Read about the Boise Depot Project
VR Travel from the Quad
The World Languages Department transformed the Quad into a vibrant global gateway, offering students and staff a high-tech passport to international exploration. The event featured the Meta Quest 3, utilizing the TriptoVR app to allow participants to “teleport” into bustling cities across the globe. By immersing themselves in these digital landscapes, students were able to experience the sights and sounds of diverse cultures with incredible realism, right from the center of campus.
In addition to the open exploration, we debuted a custom-made 360° video experienced through mobile VR headsets. This specially curated five-minute virtual tour guided students through the specific countries represented in our curriculum, bridging the gap between classroom lessons and the real world. It was a unique opportunity for learners to see the architecture, landscapes, and daily life of the regions they spend the semester studying.
This immersive experience was made possible through the hard work of our dedicated team. Manuel Gomez-Navarro set up the hardware and created and curated the VR experiences. Brittney Gehrig, Director of the World Languages Resource Center (WLRC), facilitated the event to ensure everything ran smoothly for our travelers. Special thanks to the lab assistants: Max, Elena, Zahraa and Dolly.
We are thrilled to have shared this innovative experience with the school community and look forward to more journeys together!
36 French Students visit Boise State World Languages from Jerome High School
During the third and final week of the Boise French Film Festival, dozens of students taking French with Madame Sobotka at Jerome High School visited campus for a tour and French festivities.
First, the group got a campus tour in French from Madame Gehrig, including the Blue Galleries and a quick visit to a mini study abroad orientation with our own lab assistant Charley Beebe!
Next, the students participated in a panel discussion with current French majors, minors and French club members, who answered questions about learning language at Boise State and how to get involved. They finished out the visit with a screening of The Count of Monte Cristo en français, introduced by Erik Hadley from the History Department at Boise State. Merci, Monsieur Hadley! We hope to see the Jerome crew again next year!
Alumni Stories
Where in the World 🌍 are our World Languages Alumni???
We checked in with hundreds of Bilingual Bronco alum this semester to see what they’re up to after graduating from Boise State with a World Languages Degree. This map shows just a few of the responses that have trickled in over the last few days! If you’re curious about their stories, follow along on Instagram / LinkedIn and on our website to learn more. We’ve got some exciting adventures to share!