Wesley H

2024 WISLI Filipino Student

Why did you choose to study at WISLI? What motivated you to choose our program?

I did SEASSI in 2021 and the Filipino course was the best language instruction I’ve ever had. I’ve been wanting to do another level of SEASSI Filipino ever since and this is the first year it worked out with the scheduling.

How has learning a less commonly taught language enriched your personal and professional life?

My wife is Filipino so it’s really helpful for me in terms of communicating with my in-laws and understanding better what’s going on when I’m in the Philippines. It’s also going to help me do my dissertation research (I hope!).

What about WISLI/UW-Madison stands out to you?

Besides Madison being a super cool place and campus being very pretty, the program this summer was terrific. I feel like I was able to quickly get back to where I was at the end of my first round of SEASSI and then improve upon it for the rest of the course. Ate Irene is an exceptional teacher, Kylie is kind, helpful, and professional, and my classmates were kind, supportive, and fun. I had an amazing experience this summer!

How do you plan to apply proficiency of your target language and cultural skills to your personal/professional journey?

I plan to speak with my in-laws in Filipino and use my language skills for data collection on footbridges in Manila for my dissertation.

What have been some of the highlights of your program? What events have you particularly enjoyed?

The highlights of the program were: (1) starting the day out with four hours of intensive language study with a great teacher and classmates, (2) exploring Madison with my family, and (3) the program finale cultural performances.

What role did the WISLI Tuition Scholarship play when you were making decisions? How would you encourage other students who might be interested in the scholarship to apply?

It was essential. I wouldn’t have been able to do this program with[out] the WISLI support. It’s an amazing opportunity to be financially supported in your language study. Appreciate it! That’s what I would tell other potential students.

What advice would you give to students who want to study the same language as you?

My advice would be to spend as much time as you can studying outside of class (especially developing your vocabulary) but also make time to have fun and enjoy Madison.

What is your favorite expression in the language you studied this summer?

“Ang totoo nito ay…” The truth of the matter is…