Five days a week, Lisa Vigran, an adjunct lecturer at Tulane University, teaches Spanish to college students searching for a cultural and social escape into a different world. Her days consist of planning lessons, correcting written assignments and hosting office hours. Plan, correct, host, repeat.

Despite the repetition, Vigran says she loves her job. Being able to communicate with people and observe their growth as they learn excites her are the best part.

“I love meeting people. I love working with people,” Vigran says. “And I love watching the progress as people, you know, light bulbs go off or if someone says they’re interested in studying abroad or continuing and it’s always exciting.”

According to Vigran, the worst part of her job is having to give grades. But as long as students put in the effort, she says, their grades usually reflect as much.

On the reason for taking a language course, Vigran is confident in studies that show the positive effects learning a new language has on one’s mind. Though she spoke very highly of the Spanish and Portuguese Department, she said any language course would be beneficial.

“It opens your horizons culturally, socially,” Vigran said. “I think if you learn to speak Spanish, for example, there are all these people you can all of a sudden communicate with. You can enjoy all these movies, all these TV shows, all this food. It just like blows your world open.”