Returning to the Muhlenberg campus this semester I was uncertain of how I would maintain my ties to the Spanish-speaking community after my semester abroad in Ecuador. A friend told me about the intercambio program set up through Dr. Sutherland's immigrant support group. I jumped at this opportunity to be paired with a native Spanish-speaker from the immigrant community and have never looked back.

The first time I met Griselda was at her home in downtown Allentown. As Griselda grew up in Ecuador, I was excited to share pictures with her from my experience in Ecuador last fall. Since that day we have met regularly a few times a week in the Trexler Library on the Muhlenberg campus. Griselda brings vocabulary, grammar, and translation questions in English and she adds life and meaning to a novel in Spanish, which I read out loud to her.

Beyond this more formal part of our relationship, I enjoy conversing with Griselda and learning to appreciate more and more the challenges she faces on a daily basis living in a primarily English-speaking part of the world. I believe that Griselda also enjoys the time we spend together. She can take pride in her ability to help me improve both my knowledge and my understanding of her native language.

Teresa Lunardi, '03