Latin School of Chicago

Julia Turan '10 Senior Julia Turan calls two cities home, identifies with two cultures and communicates in two languages. During the school year Julia lives in Chicago, English is her main language, and Latin is where her friends and peers are. Over the summer, she and her parents pack up and move back to their hometown of Budapest, Hungary, she speaks Hungarian, and her life revolves around her neighborhood and the summer camp she attends each year. Julia's desire to make connections between these two worlds and identities is at the root of her fascination with how language works – and how being bilingual impacts the way people view themselves as part of a community. "My curiosity partly stems from wanting to feel a connection between my Hungarian, Jewish and American identities, which often manifest themselves in the form of language," she explains. While she has easily communicated in both Hungarian and English from an early age and felt comfortable in both communities, Julia has watched her parents struggle with the challenges of having to live in a second language as adults. Their experience inspired her during her sophomore year to begin teaching English as a Second Language at the Northwest Neighborhood Federation. "Learning English as adults is not easy for my students, and it is a long process," says Julia. "But they are so appreciative. Most of them came here by necessity, and their lives continue to be difficult, partly because of language. When I work with them, I think of the long term and the positive impact learning English will have on their lives." Language and the connections it can create also have fueled Julia's academic interests. This year she has worked on a Capstone project administering surveys to her ESL students and at the Child Language Lab at Northwestern University, focusing on language and the brain. She hopes to continue her study of linguistics and biology next year at Stanford University. For Julia, the theme of connections continues in her interests outside the classroom at Latin as well. She participates in many activities, including photography, the yearbook and the Student Academic Board. Especially close to her heart has been her involvement 8 Latin Magazine "Involvement gives me a sense of belonging. If you are going to give to your community, you are going to get something back." with the GAPS club [Getting Acquainted with Perspectives in Society]. Julia came to GAPS after being chosen to attend the Student Diversity Leadership Conference in New Orleans during her junior year. "I was so impressed by the open discussions we were able to have about issues like diversity and tolerance," she says. "It was like a mini utopia for me, and I very much wanted to bring a similar experience to Latin." Julia took a leadership role, through GAPS, in January's Martin Luther King Jr. events as a way to encourage a school-wide interest in issues of inclusiveness. She also has helped organize assemblies and forums on these topics. Ultimately, much of what Julia does at school and beyond is about community – helping others to be part of a community and supporting the community as it grows. "Involvement gives me a sense of belonging," she explains. "If you are going to give to your community, you are going to get something back." For Julia, this has been the satisfaction of being able to call any of her communities home. n

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