Way beyond a translating app: Arts Academy Spanish instructor Brittany Adams helps her students make real-life connections
Her high school passion took her from college studies in Seville to a stint in the Peace Corps and ongoing work with migrant families. Today, Adams encourages her students to develop empathy and understanding for the millions of Spanish speakers worldwide.
Brittany Adams stands in front of Machu Picchu in Peru.
For Arts Academy Spanish instructor Brittany Adams, keeping the Spanish language inside of the textbook was never an option.
Four years of high school Spanish was plenty of time to ignite her passion for the language—and the people who speak it. After becoming close friends with several exchange students, Adams realized that she wanted to dedicate even more of her time to connecting with native Spanish speakers. So, she started working with a local migrant education program, helping preschool-age students ride the buses from migrant camps to school. Adams’ deep love for Hispanic culture—whether found in Central America, the United States, Europe, or even further beyond—continues to this day, and is now impacting the next generation of Spanish learners. Her life experiences have become a catalyst for connection, unlocking opportunities for her students to see beyond grammar and vocabulary to the communities who call this language their own.
Brittany Adams sits with Ecuadorean schoolchildren and their teacher during Adams' time in the Peace Corps.
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“Language is a tool we use to communicate,” Adams reflects. “It’s not just us speaking words into the air. It’s a chance for us to get to know people on a deeper level.”
Throughout her career, Adams has demonstrated her own desire to connect with others in all kinds of ways. Her post-college destination was the Peace Corps in Ecuador, where she spent two and half years working in public health. Surrounded by soaring mountains and sweltering jungles, Adams traveled to rural locations to provide services like blood draws, vaccines, and basic sutures. She taught English, helped put on an AIDS conference, started a group to help abused women, and translated for military personnel. She also invested time in an unusual hobby.
“I've always been into sports in the United States, and it’s become a great outlet for me. I started working out at a martial arts gym in Ecuador and became a kung fu instructor while I was there,” she says.
Wherever she went, Adams paid attention to the inspiring resilience of Latin American communities. She was profoundly affected by the way people came together to help friends and family in need.
“I’d see it all the time where, for example, someone in the community needed a water system, and everyone would go and dig a trench to the nearest water source for that one person. The entire community works together and it’s a powerful thing.”
Getting to know Ecuadoreans further strengthened Adams’ commitment to connection through the power of language.
“With a translating app, you're not going to be able to get to know somebody on that level,” she says.
Connecting students to Hispanic culture, building a classroom community
In her work at Interlochen Arts Academy, Adams does her best to ensure her students form connections with native Spanish speakers—whether or not they get the chance to travel as widely as she did. Recent guests to the classroom have included Beatriz Moreno, a close friend of hers who grew up as a migrant worker, as well as Adolfo Mendez, owner of T.C. Latino Grocery and several area restaurants.
“Adolfo is a good friend of mine, and he sets up a restaurant and grocery store right in my classroom. Students can come and talk with him as they buy tacos, tamales, and grocery items.”
Adams also works hard to integrate cultural understanding with her students’ artistic interests. Music students in her classes have had the chance to perform at the Virgin de Guadalupe ceremonies at a local church. Adams spends a whole unit exploring art by Latin American or Spanish artists, encouraging students to incorporate their chosen artist’s methods into their own work.
In recent years, Adams has led select seniors in her class on a special adventure in Costa Rica. While at the Tirimbina Biological Retreat, students experience life in a primarily Spanish-speaking country and explore the science of conservation in the heart of the jungle. The trip, funded by the generosity of Interlochen alumna Roberta Gordon, is just another example of how the Spanish programs at Arts Academy connect students to real-life experiences.
As a teacher, Adams strives to build a supportive community right within the classroom and make sure her students know that their work is seen and appreciated. This starts with showing up at her students’ artistic performances to cheer them on.
“I love watching them in their element as they perform and do what they do best,” she says. “I tell them how awesome their work is and do my best to build those connections.”
For Adams, the entire process of teaching Spanish is about building bridges—between cultures, communities, and individuals. As her students master verb conjugations and vocabulary, they're also learning something far more valuable: how language can transform strangers into friends and open doors to new experiences.
"Whether my students are connecting with native Spanish speakers or even just talking with me after I attend one of their shows, I often see their perspectives shift quite a bit," Adams says. "They start to realize that they belong here. They realize that coming to Spanish class really isn’t about passing a test. It’s about helping them find their place within a beautiful and diverse world.”
Students at Interlochen Arts Academy enjoy world-renowned artistic training from gifted professionals alongside college-preparatory academics. Learn more about Interlochen Arts Academy.
