By Abigail Ofous
Trinity Times Correspondent

Born in the U.S and raised in Haiti, Trinity Washington University student Alexandra Bernier has always been fascinated by bilingual culture, which she describes as “awesome.”

The Global Affairs major’s first language is Haitian Creole, a language spoken by about 12 million people in Haiti, and she also learned French in school.

In 2018, Bernier and her family moved to the United States, and though she continues to speak Haitian Creole at home, she mainly speaks English while navigating her life in Metropolitan Washington. 

When she enrolled at Trinity in 2021, Bernier discovered to her delight that she could have a bilingual existence in campus culture.

Bernier’s Trinity experiences as a bilingual student has allowed her to connect with other students who also speak Haitian Creole or French. 

“I have two friends who are from Cameroon who speak French, so I’m able to speak to them from time to time,” she told Trinity Times.

Bernier believes that being bilingual and attending Trinity has presented opportunities to expand her linguistic knowledge even further, while making friends on campus with fellow students who speak Spanish and Swahili. 

“Research has shown that students who can write and speak in multiple languages have cognitive advantages over their monolingual peers,” according to “The Benefits of Bilingual Education and Its Impact on Student Learning and Growth,” published by the American University School of Education. 

As a bilingual student, Bernier has found unique opportunities for internships and fellowships because of her fluency in French and Haitian Creole. This has allowed her to embrace her home culture while living within a new one.

“Representation is important because it showcases your identity and where you come from,” she said. “The International Student Association club here at Trinity should happen again because that would help with” cultural representation.

The mission of the International Student Association is to “foster an inclusive environment for the advancement and celebration of various cultures represented at Trinity Washington University.” Currently the club is inactive due to low participation rates.

As a bilingual student, Bernier has found her language skills to be beneficial in unexpected ways. She recalled an instance at an airport recently when she was able to help a young couple who were Spanish speakers. The small amount of Spanish she had learned from her Trinity friends enabled her to assist the couple in finding their departure gate.

“Definitely embrace the idea of speaking another language because being able to know another language is a wonderful skill,” Bernier advises her fellow Trinity students. “You’re able to connect with others.” 

Hewan Deyass, a rising senior majoring in Psychology at Trinity, shares a similar appreciation for bilingualism. 

Deyass came to the university as a member of the Ethiopian and Eritrean community. 

Born and raised in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Deyass speaks both English and Amharic fluently. She moved to the United States in 2016 with her family.

“Being bilingual is a superpower,” Deyass said. “It has allowed me to connect with a diverse range of people and learn about different cultures.” 

This view reflects the Biden-Harris administration’s initiative, also named “Being Bilingual is a Superpower,” which aims to promote multilingual education and highlights the benefits of bilingualism for personal and professional growth. 

The “Being Bilingual is a Superpower” initiative is part of the broader “Raise the Bar: Create Pathways for Global Engagement” program launched by the U.S Department of Education. 

This campaign focuses on ensuring every student has a pathway to multilingualism and postsecondary education.

It promotes “multilingual education by bolstering high-quality language programs and establishing a diverse multilingual educator workforce across the country.” 

This initiative reinforces the idea that learning new languages can boost creativity, problem-solving skills, and decision-making abilities, while also offering economic advantages such as higher incomes and better job opportunities. 

Linguistic decay can happen over time, but Deyass does not fear losing her first language because of the high number of Amharic speakers in the District of Columbia. She even incorporates her bilingualism in her academics. 

This year Deyass participated in the 9th annual Spring Research Day at Trinity where students in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), social science and humanities present their research in a public forum. The event provided an opportunity for students to discuss their work with peers, faculty, and visitors. 

Deyass presented a project on bilingualism and emotional intelligence. Her thesis explored how bilingual students exhibit enhanced executive functions, such as improved attention control, working memory, and problem-solving skills. 

Additionally, she highlighted the heightened emotional regulation and empathy bilingual students develop as they navigate multiple cultural contexts. 

“Many students shared with me that they were interested in my topic and expressed that they personally related to it,” Deyass told Trinity Times. 

She also participated in the Culture Fest held in April 2024 at Trinity’s Sister Helen Sheehan Library, where she set up a table showcasing Ethiopian culture, which featured traditional artifacts.  

Deyass believes that a focus on cultural representation is necessary in academic institutions because it is an important indication that students are being appreciated for their unique views of the world. 

“This is particularly true at Trinity, where the diversity in classrooms, research topics and social events clearly demonstrates commitment to inclusion,” she said. “If I had all the time in the world, I would spend it learning languages because that is where the exchange of ideas occurs.”

Sita Ramamurti, dean of Trinity’s College of Arts and Sciences and a professor of Mathematics, believes that students should take on the experience of multilingual education at Trinity. 

“Learning new languages, understanding different cultures, recognizing the interconnectedness of our lives are keys to the long-term wellbeing of students in today’s world,” Ramamurti said. 

The university’s requirement to take two foreign language courses serves to reinforce the importance of cultural exposure to which Ramamurti alluded.  

“In order for students to use their education to compete and lead the world,” Ramamurti said, “they must be empowered with career-readiness skills to take on global competitiveness.”

One of the most important benefits for bilingual students, she said, is the ability to empathize with others. 

This can help students overcome isolation and more successfully adapt to the diverse environment of higher education, Ramamurti said. “All of these positive academic, social and emotional impacts of bilingualism and multilingualism create a healthy and happy university community.”