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Chelsea Maxwell
Southeastern Oklahoma State University sophomore Chelsea Maxwell has added to an already impressive list of accolades, as she has been awarded a scholarship to attend the Middlebury Language School this summer to continue her study of Portuguese.
Maxwell, a Computer Information Systems major from Broken Bow, studied Portuguese in Brazil in the summer of 2023 on a Critical Language Scholarship from the U.S. State Department. Now, as one of eight recipients of scholarships for students attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic-Serving Institutions, and Tribal Colleges, Maxwell will have the opportunity to attend one of the most prestigious language immersion programs in the English-speaking world.
“When Dr. Lincoln first brought up the idea of me applying for Middlebury, I was very excited at the chance to continue learning a language I had fallen in love with,” Maxwell said. “However, when I realized the cost of the program, I became skeptical that I could one day study at such a prestigious school. That is the reason I nearly cried when I found out I was a recipient of the scholarship.
“Going to Middlebury means I will be able to be fully immersed once more in a beautiful language, not only in a classroom setting but in almost every activity I do. I am very excited to learn everything I can about the Portuguese language and to learn it surrounded by some of the brightest minds this country has to offer.”
Middlebury’s Language Schools date back to 1915, with the Portuguese School launching in 2003. The Portuguese School will be held on the campus of Bennington College in Bennington, Vt., for eight weeks in the summer. Middlebury is a leading global liberal arts college and an international graduate school, with faculty and directors from prestigious universities here and abroad. Middlebury believes the study of language in its cultural context belongs in the mainstream of any curriculum as one of the most enlightening and humanizing activities in which one can engage.
“What is especially impressive about the programs at Middlebury is how wide their reach is and how deep their commitment to holistic language learning has been from the beginning,” said Southeastern interim director of study abroad and assistant professor of history and interdisciplinary humanities Dr. Kyle C. Lincoln. “In just the first years of the 21st century alone, their students have come from all 50 states, every American overseas territory, and 75 countries. Their program includes immersion from breakfast conversations in the morning before classes, co-curricular programming in the afternoon, lectures and film screenings in the evening, and everything in between. It is especially exciting to have a Southeastern student join their ranks, given how many of their alumni go on to be leaders in their fields. We’re confident that Chelsea will make Middlebury as proud to name her one of their own as we are of her.”