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The World Cup, Bringing Us Together
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June gave us so much to celebrate! As people from around the world came together, we witnessed an incredible sense of connection—whether through the warm hospitality of the Bostonians and the Tartan Army or the global excitement surrounding the World Cup. It was more than just a game; it was a celebration of cultures, reminding us how much we share and how small the world becomes when we take the time to explore it.
Here at CRLC, “Bridging Cultures” is more than a slogan—it’s at the heart of everything we do. Learning a new language opens the door to understanding different cultures, appreciating their values, and discovering what makes each one unique.
As we reflect on an exciting June, we’re also looking forward to an even brighter July. Be sure to read the inspiring travel stories in this newsletter and check out our upcoming events below!
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Where Language Takes You
Studying a language doesn’t just teach you to conjugate verbs, it takes you places. Recently I traveled to Vietnam, and learning just a few of the basics: coffee, please, hello, thank you (in that order) made a difference in my comfort level and in how I was perceived. Countless trips to Spanish-speaking countries have been enriched through decades of studying and teaching. Sharing a common language, or even a few phrases, forges a connection on a personal level that is difficult to put into words.
Our featured students this month, Petra and Bill, share how studying Japanese and German, respectively, have created and enhanced opportunities for travel. Different ages, different reasons, same result: language opened the door. Where will your new language take you?
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In this Month’s Newsletter
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IN THE COMMUNITY: WORLD CUP WATCH PARTIES
CRLC tabled at two Jennings Landing World Cup watch parties, connecting with hundreds while featuring Spa City Swingers and Saratoga Savoy, celebrating community together!
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STUDENT SPOTLIGHT: TRAVEL STORIES
Hear from two of CRLC’s students who took their adventures abroad! One to Japan and another to a rock concert in Germany. “My thought of heavy metal was thugs and motorcycles, but it was the friendliest environment.” – Bill Fisk
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CULTURAL EVENTS: NOURISHING JAPAN
CRLC’s May Open House welcomed the director of Nourishing Japan for a film screening, Q&A, and authentic Japanese snacks celebrating language, culture, and community.
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World Cup Watch Parties: Football or Soccer…?
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Community events like these bring people together through the universal language of sport while celebrating the cultures that make our region so vibrant. Both events CRLC attended were enriched with community, dancing and fun! CRLC was proud to connect with hundreds of attendees, share language and cultural experiences, and help make the World Cup celebration even more welcoming and memorable.
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CRLC in the Community
The 2026 FIFA World Cup was more than just a tournament—it was a celebration of cultures, bringing people together from around the globe and reminding us how much we have in common. Throughout June, Jennings Landing came alive as hundreds of fans gathered for the free, family-friendly World Cup Watch Experience, hosted in partnership with Wolff’s Biergarten and Discover Albany.
The waterfront events featured live match broadcasts on a giant screen, food trucks, giveaways, games, and activities that created an exciting atmosphere for soccer fans of all ages. Teachers and students from CRLC were thrilled to join the festivities, celebrating alongside neighbors and visitors from many different backgrounds.
Events like these perfectly reflect CRLC’s mission of Bridging Cultures. Whether through language learning, shared experiences, or cheering for the same team, meaningful connections are made when communities come together.
We are grateful to Wolff’s Biergarten for inviting us to be part of this incredible community celebration and are proud to partner with organizations that help create welcoming spaces where cultures are celebrated. We can’t wait for the next opportunity to connect, learn, and celebrate together!
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Student Spotlight: Travel Stories to Japan and Germany!
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From the Classroom to the Mosh Pit: One Student’s German Journey Leads to Wacken
When Bill Fisk began studying German more than five years ago, he probably never imagined that one day his language skills would take him to the middle of the world’s largest heavy metal music festival.
But last summer, that is exactly where the 80-year-old retired lawyer and CPA found himself — standing ankle-deep in mud at Germany’s legendary Wacken Open Air Festival.
The trip began with a call from his daughter, who studied German in graduate school.
“Her husband is into heavy metal bands and they were planning a trip to the Wacken Open Air Festival in Germany,” Fisk recalls.
A fan of the Rolling Stones and Chuck Berry rather than heavy metal, Fisk surprised even himself when he agreed to join them.
“My thought of heavy metal was thugs and motorcycles,” he says with a laugh. “But it was the friendliest environment.”
With more than 85,000 attendees and headliners including Guns N’ Roses, the festival felt to Fisk like “Woodstock déjà vu.” Yet what stood out most was not the music, but the community.
“Everyone is in a tent or a trailer and forms these little enclaves,” he explains. “My grandson and granddaughter were with us and this group of German co-workers said, ‘We’re all family here,’ and started calling me ‘Opa,’ which is German for grandfather.”
Then came the rain.
“It started raining and just kept raining,” Fisk says. Before long, he had learned a new German vocabulary word: schlamm — mud.
“The schlamm was almost a foot deep in places,” he remembers. “My souvenir is a pair of Italian molded rubber boots that still have mud on them.”
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After three days of mud, Fisk’s daughter decided it was time for a change of scenery. The family drove about 100 miles north to the historic city of Lübeck.
“She found a really nice hotel,” Fisk says. “We learned the city is the marzipan capital of the world and took a boat ride on the Trave River.”
The trip also included time in Berlin and Hamburg, giving Fisk opportunities to put years of German study into practice.
“What I got most from the trip was walking around, reading and understanding signs and advertising,” he says.
Conversations came more slowly.
“I did have opportunities to speak with waitstaff and others, but the tendency for many Germans — though not all — is to switch to English once they hear me,” he explains. “I never presume they speak English when initiating a conversation in German.”
His studies at Capital Region Language Center helped prepare him for those moments.
“Evelin has helped me understand the nuances of making polite requests in German,” he says.
At CRLC, Fisk has studied with instructors Annika Nerf and Evelin Börner.
“They have been super,” he says. “They give me a lot of cultural background in addition to language. I consider them friends.”
Last summer, when Börner, who is based in Texas, visited the Capital Region, Fisk made the drive to meet her and fellow students at the German American Club in Albany. Today, the two continue to meet weekly over Zoom.
“The more time I spend with Evelin, the more I can pick up when hearing people speak,” he says.
Outside the classroom, Fisk continues to seek opportunities for immersion. Once a month, he drives to a library in Manchester, Vermont, to practice conversation with a local German-speaking group.
“The big thing is you have to go somewhere where you can get immersed in it,” he says.
His interest in Germany goes back decades.
“I’ve always been interested in the history of Germany. My uncle was there during World War II,” he says. “My kids studied German in high school. We hosted German exchange students and have been back to visit them.”
And his language journey is far from over.
Later this year, Fisk plans to take a Viking cruise to France and hopes he may once again find an opportunity to use his German. He laughs as he remembers an experience from a previous cruise.
“The day we came home, we took a bus to get back to the plane,” he says. “I heard the driver say, ‘Lufthansa on strike,’ and then a profanity about the weather. When I said, ‘I understand that,’ they all started laughing.”
For Fisk, learning German has become more than mastering vocabulary and grammar. It has opened doors to friendships, travel, unexpected adventures — and even a heavy metal festival in the middle of a German mud field. Not bad for a Rolling Stones fan.
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“Hunger Is the Best Cook”: One Student’s Journey to Japan
For most high school seniors, graduation marks the beginning of college applications, campus visits, and final decisions about what comes next.
For Petra Beaudoin, it marked the beginning of a move halfway around the world.
Last month, the 17-year-old Shenendehowa High School student graduated a year early so she could pursue a dream she has held for years: studying in Japan and eventually building a career in Japanese architecture and interior design.
“It was always my intention to go to college in Japan,” she says.
For Beaudoin, the decision was never impulsive. Fascinated by Japanese design and sustainability, she was drawn to the country’s approach to architecture long before she began making plans to move there.
“I like the way the houses are made eco-friendly in Japan,” she explains. “There is an environmental influence on homes.”
Growing up in a bilingual household with a Peruvian mother, Beaudoin spoke both Spanish and English from an early age. In high school, she studied Latin, but it was Japanese that captured her imagination. She began learning the language in sixth grade.
“I studied it for fun,” she says, “but in 10th grade, when I started making plans to move to Japan, I got serious.”
For much of her language journey, she has studied with CRLC instructor Yoko Segerstrom, who was born and raised near Tokyo. As her plans became more concrete, Beaudoin challenged herself to take the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT), a notoriously difficult exam with pass rates that can hover around 30 percent depending on the level. After missing the U.S. testing date, she registered to take the exam in Canada.From August through December, preparing for the test became her full-time focus.
“I was studying four to five hours a day to get ready for the exam,” she says.
She ultimately did not pass, but the experience only strengthened her determination.
“The biggest thing I would change is that I would study every single day,” she reflects. “It’s better to study a little every day than in huge chunks. Right before the exam, I was learning a lot in a short period of time.”
Even so, she considers the experience an important milestone.
“I feel like it helped me see that it is possible to even try to do this,” she says.
This summer, that dream became reality. Until February, Beaudoin will study at Tokyo Central Japanese Language School (TCJ), a college preparatory program for non-native speakers in Tokyo that helps students build fluency while preparing for university entrance exams.
She will live in the school’s Foreign Exchange House, where she has already learned that another student speaks Spanish — giving her a second language to lean on as she adjusts to life in a new country.
Her interests in architecture and design have always been connected to a love of building and creating. In high school, she took advanced math and drawing courses and participated in the robotics club. Now, she is eager to explore the country she has spent years studying.
“I really want to see Tokyo Tower,” she says. “It is based on the Eiffel Tower and influenced by French architecture. I also want to visit the Shinto temples.”
Looking back, Beaudoin credits years of language study — and the guidance of her teacher — with giving her the confidence to take this remarkable next step.
Whether planning a short trip abroad or a life-changing move, she believes learning the language is always worth the effort.
“Do it,” she says simply. “I don’t see any negatives.”
Then she shares the advice that has become something of a personal motto:
“Hunger is the best cook. I learned that if you have the drive, anything is possible.”
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Past and Upcoming Events
Reflecting on the Past, Looking forward to the Future
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Director of Nourishing Japan recently returned from that very country that inspired the film!
“I just got back from a visit to Japan and was reminded how early to mid-June is a great time to visit! Everything is green, beautiful, and growing. The rainy season keeps the temperatures cool and the foliage lush. It’s also the season of fireflies, hydrangeas, and “mirror rice paddies,” as I call them, when the fields are newly flooded and planted with rice and reflect the sky beautifully.”
-Alexis Agliano Sanborn
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CRLC Open House: Nourishing Japan
Nourishing Curiosity, Culture, and Connection
Our May Open House offered a taste of Japan in more ways than one. Guests gathered to enjoy Japanese snacks, conversation, and networking before settling in for a special screening of Nourishing Japan, a documentary that explores Japan’s unique relationship with food, education, and community.
The film follows the journey from farmers’ fields to school lunchrooms, highlighting how Japan’s approach to food education helps nourish not only healthy eating habits, but also a connection to the earth and to one another.
We were honored to welcome the film’s director, Alexis Agliano Sanborn who joined us in person to introduce the documentary and participate in a thoughtful question-and-answer session following the screening. The evening sparked conversations about culture, sustainability, education, and the many ways language learning opens doors to deeper understanding.
Attendees also had the opportunity to learn more about Capital Region Language Center classes, upcoming openings, and opportunities to begin or continue their own language journey.
June was a reminder that language learning is about far more than vocabulary and grammar. It is about building connections, exploring cultures, and discovering where curiosity can take you.
Learn more about the film at Nourishing Japan.
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🌎 Cultural Calendar: Experience the World in the Capital Region
You don’t need a passport to explore the world. This summer and fall, the Capital Region offers opportunities to experience new languages, cultures, traditions, music, and cuisine right here at home.
Upstate New York Albanian Heritage Festival
July 18 | Colonie
The Capital Region’s Albanian community celebrates its heritage with traditional food, music, dance, and family activities.
Learn more: Albanian Heritage Festival
Black Arts & Cultural Festival
July 31–August 1 | Empire State Plaza, Albany
Celebrate music, art, food, and traditions from across the African diaspora during this free community festival.
Learn more: Black Arts & Cultural Festival Information
Albany Latin Fest
August 22 | Washington Park, Albany
Experience the sights, sounds, and flavors of Latin America through music, dance, food, and community celebration.
Learn more: Albany Latin Fest
Capital District Scottish Games
September 5 | Altamont Fairgrounds
Bagpipes, Highland dancing, athletics, clans, and Celtic traditions come together for one of the region’s longest-running heritage festivals.
Learn more: Capital District Scottish Games
💬 Your Challenge This Season:
Learn one new greeting, food word, or phrase at each event you attend. You may be surprised where a few words can take you!
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