For some, learning a language simply entails rote memorization. At Webb, these lessons mean much more, providing students with the practical tools needed to develop connections, serve others, and gain a better understanding of people and cultures from around the world.
From the French Classroom to Florida: Gunnar Melson ’28 Makes Meaningful Connections Through Service to Others
One Webb student put his world language skills to excellent use last summer while on a mission trip to Florida with his youth group. Together, Gunnar Melson ’28 and his peers traveled to Give Kids the World, a nonprofit resort that partners with the Make-A-Wish Foundation to host families with children who are critically ill. “It's a worldwide organization, so there are a lot of different people from a lot of different backgrounds,” he said.
Like Gunnar, many volunteers will choose to wear badges indicating the languages that they speak. His badge, in particular, said ‘Je parle français,’ noting his fluency in French. Gunnar, a confident French speaker and reader, has been studying the Romance language full-time since the seventh grade at Webb. Not long after affixing the pin to his badge, Gunnar encountered a French-speaking family from Québec, struggling to communicate and in need of assistance navigating the resort’s cafeteria. Immediately, his memories from Webb’s French classroom emerged.
“One of our units [during] my freshman year was food and ordering at a restaurant…and gaining real-world experience speaking to people,” he said.
In that moment, classroom practice turned into real-world service, and the conversations he’d studied suddenly mattered in a very human way. But Gunnar’s confidence in interacting with others in his non-native language did not happen overnight. He traces it back to his first experience with French through the sixth-grade Passport Program at Webb, which offers a quarter-long sampling of the world languages available to Middle and Upper School students in grades 7 through 12. “[That was] one of my favorite experiences of sixth grade,” Gunnar said, noting the unique teaching style. “It's project-based—full immersion—unlike anything else, you know?”
In a Moment of Crisis: Sophomore Nate Simmons’ Spanish Speaking Skills Became a Lifeline
Over the past year, one of Webb’s Spanish students, Nate Simmons ’28, also experienced the impact of language learning beyond the classroom. Since joining Webb in the sixth grade, Nate has benefited greatly from the curriculum’s immersiveness beyond the pages of a textbook. “You learn slang, accents, and how people actually speak,” he said. “[The Webb faculty] want you to enjoy and understand what you’re learning.”
Nate’s classroom experiences and extensive preparation became critical during a baseball travel tournament in Georgia, where he met a player from Venezuela with limited English proficiency. During the tournament, that athlete would require medical attention. Nate recalls, “He collapsed. Someone said, ‘We need a translator,’ and I ran over.”
Nate translated for the player and the paramedics, playing a key role in obtaining all necessary medical history and helping EMTs connect with the injured player’s family. “I was really stressed and nervous, and afraid to say the wrong thing. But in that moment, I remembered what I learned in class,” said Nate afterward, grateful that his quick thinking and classroom practice had afforded him what may have been life-saving skills. “Asking where his parents were, explaining what happened—those were all things I used,” he added.
When asked whether he’ll continue to study the Romance language, Nate spoke about the importance of Spanish in the professional baseball community, a sport he aims to continue to pursue after high school. “For me, learning Spanish is important, not just to help others, but also for my future.”
For both Gunnar and Nate, language at Webb isn’t just a classroom exercise; it’s a bridge to interacting with and helping others in the real world. Whether simply interacting with their boarding friends on campus, easing stress, or navigating emergencies, Webb students realize that the true value of learning a second language comes from its power to connect cultures and people.