Gisela (Nina) K. Holmquist
2006 Hall of Fame Nominee
Nicolet High School
Glendale, WI
2007 Finalist from CSCTFL
Spanish
“At no time ever before has it been as important as today to be proficient in foreign languages and cultures. Our world is becoming smaller and smaller, and if we, as a country and individuals want to have a positive impact on the world, we must expand the language skills and cultural awareness of every American. It has been the case too often that our businessmen, tourists, and ambassadors went abroad full of goodwill, but without any understanding of the culture and language of the places they visited, and thus not reaping the success they had expected. This cannot be the case any longer. If we want to promote democracy, establish business relations, teach Aids prevention, etc., our mission will only be credible if we communicate with peoples in their language and are sensitive to what makes them tick. Today competition is fierce, and I am not necessarily speaking of the business world. Today we must educate youth that speak Pashtun to rebuild Afghanistan, Russian to re-establish confidence in us, or Creole to promote understanding in Haiti, just to name a few.”