Beyond Hola: How Spanish Became a Passport to the World

For 23-year-old Brisbane graduate Maia Craig, learning Spanish has connected her to people, places and perspectives around the world. But while speaking another language can open doors, the journey to fluency is rarely as effortless as it appears.

Maia is quick to point out that the reality is far less glamorous.

“You have to humble yourself to learn a new language,” she says.

She describes the process as challenging and, at times, arduous.

“You just have to love doing it.”

Fortunately for Maia, that passion has never been in short supply.

The past July, she reached an important milestone, graduating from the University of Queensland with a double major in Spanish and Peace and Conflict Studies. Together, the two disciplines seem a natural foundation for an international career, perhaps in diplomacy, humanitarian work or global development.

But university has been only one chapter in Maia’s education.

Although she now calls Brisbane home, Maia was born in New Zealand. Her father’s career took the family overseas, and she spent Years 1 to 3 in Doha before returning later to attend Years 7 to 9 at Qatar International School.

The school, with students representing around 50 nationalities, exposed Maia to an extraordinary mix of languages, cultures and perspectives. She credits those years with shaping both her curiosity about the world and her love of languages.

“Listening to people from all over the world really took me out of my bubble in Brisbane,” she says.

After trying basic Japanese in primary school and later studying both French and Spanish in high school, choosing a favorite language wasn’t difficult.

Her face lights up.

“I just adore Spanish,” she says.

Then, with even greater enthusiasm:

“I love the way they roll their R’s.”

That passion soon took her overseas.

On her first student exchange, Maia spent three months traveling through Guatemala, Colombia and Antigua, immersing herself in Spanish-speaking communities.

Guatemala made a particularly deep impression.

Home to one of the largest Indigenous populations in Central America, the country has preserved many Maya languages, traditions and cultural practices despite centuries of adversity.

“I was impressed by how they had kept their language, culture and traditions despite everything they’ve been through,” Maia says.

In 2025, she headed to Madrid for another student exchange.

By then she had experienced numerous Spanish accents and regional dialects.

“And I loved them all,” she laughs.

But Maia’s curiosity wasn’t limited to the Spanish-speaking world.

Eager to experience another culture, she traveled to Indonesia to complete an internship with a non-government organization focused on grassroots peace-building.

Working within an Islamic feminist framework, the program supported women in local communities to meet in safe spaces where they could discuss issues affecting their lives.

“It started with women coming together in a safe space,” Maia explains.

“They talked about the hardships they faced, including gender-based violence, and explored ways to negotiate greater power within their households. Together they developed practical solutions to improve their situations.”

The experience left a lasting impression.

Since returning home, Maia has continued studying Indonesian with the same enthusiasm she once devoted to Spanish.

It is perhaps no surprise that she has become a regular visitor to The Language People bookstore, where she enjoys browsing the extensive collection of language-learning resources.

“I’ve actually been learning Indonesian through comic books,” she says. She then points to a  display of  books published by Tuttle Publishing.

So what advice does this young language enthusiast have for anyone hoping to learn another language?

Keep it personal.

“Whatever your hobby is, use that to learn,” she says.

“I love music.”

“Take whatever you’re interested in and convert it into your target language.”

For Maia, that soundtrack currently includes Latin music stars Bad Bunny and Young Miko.

It’s fitting advice from someone whose own love of languages has already taken her from Brisbane classrooms to Guatemalan villages, Madrid cafés and Indonesian community centers.

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