SPELL Leaders

Mambo! My name is Mo Al-Jabry, I grew up in Shinyanga, Tanzania. I am a first year pursuing a major in Economics with minors in Theater and Dance. Passionate about language and cultural exchange, I am excited to teach Swahili and share the beauty and cultural heritage of East Africa. Through the SPELL program, I hope to make learning Swahili fun, interactive, and full of good vibes. Karibu sana!

I grew up in Tokyo, Japan, and I am currently studying Theater at Osaka University and Bates College, focusing on how performance responds to disasters, particularly in the context of 3.11. With a background in both Western performing arts—such as ballet, musicals, and English Drama—and Japanese traditional arts through my grandmother’s lifelong practice of Nihon Buyō, I am passionate about exploring cultural expression across different forms. At Bates, my experience at the Japanese Table and cultural events deepened my appreciation for sharing my language and heritage, inspiring me to join the SPELL program.

Ana is a freshman at Bates College and grew up in Chicago learning Spanish from her mother, a Spanish native. She spent extended time in Spain as a child and young adult and learned to appreciate both the language and culture, as well as the opportunities for connection that language brings. She is now studying Biochemistry and Chinese and hopes to inspire others to keep learning the languages that interest them! 

Shafin, a freshman at Bates College, grew up in South Asia near the beautiful Jamuna River. People say he is as calm as the gentle movements of Jamuna and as fresh as the green landscapes of his country’s grasslands and forests. He is open to and deeply appreciates cultures from around the world, with their uniqueness forming beautiful visual images in his mind, as if painted by his occipital lobe.

Throughout his high school years, he studied in Bangla Medium schools and deeply loves his mother tongue, Bangla—a language for which his nation was the first in the world to shed blood to preserve its dignity. In the SPELL program, he will share a story about how a language has shaped the future of a nation and how sweet, calming, poetic, musical, and metaphorical a language can be!

Hello! My name is Jaewoo Kim and I am a senior studying Sociology and Rhetoric, Film, and Screen Studies. I grew up in San Ramon, California and enjoy dancing and doing flips in my free time. Through the SPELL program I am excited to meet people who are passionate and excited to learn the Korean language and culture. I look forward to meeting and working with you!

Hello everyone! I am a freshman looking to pursuing a major in Biochemistry and a minor in Japanese. Growing up in Kazakhstan, with an American mother, Kazakh father and going to an international school, I have been surrounded by many languages and cultures, which has made me more excited to share my own culture and destigmatize the certain misconceptions that people may have about countries in the Central Asian region. Being introduced to a 4th culture through the Japanese department at Bates, I am very excited to be a representative of my language and culture through a multicultural lens. 

Hi everyone! My name is Ruslan and I was born in Donetsk, Ukraine. At Bates, I have a triple major in Politics, Dance, and French and Francophone Studies. I grew up speaking both Russian and Ukrainian which fostered my interest in language and its intersection with culture and identity. Growing up I had to move a lot, and I developed a deep appreciation for how language connects people across borders. As a part of SPELL, I hope to share more about the Ukrainian language specifically in the modern context. 

I am a Biochemistry major with a minor in Religious Studies. Born in the U.S. and raised in Lahore, Pakistan, my family is now based in New Jersey. I am passionate about healthcare management and deeply value intercultural education. One of my hopes in participating in the SPELL program is to help my peers gain an understanding and appreciation of the beauty, poetic nature, and depth of the Urdu language—just as I have through embracing my culture and traditions. As someone who grew up with both English and Urdu as my first languages, I look forward to sharing the richness of Urdu with others.

Hi everyone! My name is Johannes Schwarz (Senior double-majoring in Biochemistry and Economics), and I’m thrilled to be a SPELL instructor for Swedish. I grew up speaking both Swedish and German, giving me a deep appreciation for languages and how they shape culture. I also had the incredible opportunity to live in Stockholm for two years, immersing myself in Swedish daily life, traditions, and, of course, the language. My background allows me to bring both linguistic knowledge and real-world experience into our lessons, making learning Swedish more engaging and practical. I can’t wait to share not just the language, but also insights into Swedish/European culture with all of you!

Jamie is a sophomore at Bates College, who grew up mostly in Zurich, Switzerland, though they lived in London for several years before that. They now study Psychology, English Creative Writing, and German. Jamie is especially excited to be a part of the SPELL program, as they enjoy learning languages and value the depth that linguistic diversity can bring to a community. Since coming to Bates, they have found an incredibly welcoming German-speaking community. Through the SPELL program, Jamie hopes to be able to share some of their Züri language and culture, as well as the flexibility and connectedness that they feel in speaking the language.

My name is Willa Wang (she/her). I’m a senior and major in Philosophy, History, and German. I’m born and raised in Beijing, China. I speak Chinese as my first language and am learning German, Turkish, and Latin. I'm excited to join SPELL and learn different languages with you!