On January 1, 2024, Dr. Patricia Barr-Harrison, a Museum co-founder, passed away. The National Museum of Language started a scholarship fund to honor Dr. Barr-Harrison’s work in promoting language learning. In May 2025, Cindy Moussangui became the first winner of that award. It was presented in Dr. Barr-Harrison’s honor at Laurel High School, MD (Laurel High School, in Prince George’s County, is representative of the many schools that Pat oversaw when she ran the foreign languages department for Prince George’s County Public Schools). The following is the gist of the interview with Cindy conducted by Greg Nedved, NML’s former president.
What is your foreign language background?
CINDY: I grew up in a bilingual household. My languages were English and French. I studied Spanish at Laurel High School. My languages, in order of fluency, are English, French and Spanish.
I feel that coming from a bilingual background has made me more diverse and open-minded. It has made me more accepting of other cultures. It has been a motivating force for me.
What were your language activities at Laurel High School?
CINDY: I tutored my classmates in French. One of my teachers arranged for me to do this, either before or after class. I helped my classmates with French slang, something they were eager to learn.
What are your plans after high school?
CINDY: I plan on attending the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES), where I will study dentistry. I expect to handle patients in at least two languages (English and French). I also expect to continue my French tutoring as a student.
What would be your next language conquest?
CINDY: Most people would probably go towards Spanish but I think Arabic is interesting. I like the way it sounds.
What advice would you give somebody starting out learning a foreign language?
CINDY: I doubt they would listen to me anyway (ha, ha!) but I would say just dive right into it and go at your own pace so that you can understand it.
Do you have any final comments?
CINDY: I am so happy that I got the award. It really was a surprise to me. I also want to thank Dr. Pat Barr-Harrison for her work.
Watch the interview: