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Spanish students receive $33,000 in awards

July 14, 2005

KALAMAZOO--Forty-two Western Michigan University students were honored for achievement this spring by the Department of Spanish.

The department awarded scholarships totaling more than $33,000 at its Honors and Awards Day in April, an annual celebration that recognizes the achievements of outstanding students of Spanish.

Amanda Bellino of Geneva, Ill., was the recipient of the $1,500 Lori Beth Pattison Scholarship for Literature in Spanish. The award is named in honor of a WMU alumna and professor of Spanish who died of cancer in 1999.

Jamie Biggs of Homer, Mich., was awarded the Premio Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz. The award is given to recognize excellence in the study of Spanish language and literature.

April Bingham of Kalamazoo was awarded a $1,000 Ruth Y. Kirby Scholarship in Spanish. The award provides financial assistance for Spanish majors and was made possible through a donation by the late Kirby, who taught Spanish in the Kalamazoo community.

Brock Brockway of Kalamazoo was awarded a $500 Department Travel/Study Abroad Award. The award allows recipients to pursue their studies in Spanish outside of the United States.

Liza Brockway of Kalamazoo was awarded a $1,000 Mathilde Steckelberg Scholarship in Spanish. The award is given to a Spanish major who demonstrates outstanding academic performance and potential.

Scott Brown of Ypsilanti, Mich., was awarded the Premio Octavio Paz. The award is given to a student who demonstrates exemplary academic achievement in the study of Spanish language and literature.

Megan Burnley of Pullman, Mich., was awarded a $500 Department Travel/Study Abroad Award. The award allows recipients to pursue their studies in Spanish outside of the United States.

Lindsey Cherry of Saginaw, Mich., was awarded the $1,250 Sue C. Mardis Scholarship in Spanish. The award provides financial assistance to a graduate student for study in a Spanish-speaking country and was made possible through a donation by the family of the late Mardis, a high school language teacher.

Alena Clark of Grand Haven, Mich., was awarded a $1,000 Ruth Y. Kirby Scholarship in Spanish. The award provides financial assistance for Spanish majors and was made possible through a donation by the late Kirby, who taught Spanish in the Kalamazoo community.

Dianne Conn of Ortonville, Mich., was chosen as the Western Michigan University Presidential Scholar in Spanish. The Presidential Scholar designation reflects outstanding academic performance and is WMU's highest honor for undergraduates.

Natalie Contreras of Kalamazoo was awarded the Premio Joan Coromines. The award is given to a student who demonstrates exemplary academic achievement in the study of Spanish language and literature.

Taryn Corrigan of Portage, Mich., was awarded the $1,250 Sue C. Mardis Scholarship in Spanish. The award provides financial assistance to a graduate student for study in a Spanish-speaking country and was made possible through a donation by the family of the late Mardis, a high school language teacher.

Andrew Drenth of Cedarville, Mich., was awarded the $2,500 President's Award for Study Abroad. This is the premier award given to a Spanish major or minor to study abroad for at least one semester.

Erin Farmer of Saline, Mich., was awarded the Premio Alfonso X el Sabio. The award is given to a student who demonstrates overall excellence in the study of Spanish language and literature.

Bryan Ford of Kalamazoo was awarded a $500 Department Travel/Study Abroad Award. The award allows recipients to pursue their studies in Spanish outside of the United States.

Emily Freeman of Holt, Mich., was awarded a $2,000 President's Scholarship for Study Abroad. The award is given to a foreign language major to study abroad for at least one semester. To receive the award, Freeman was required to have a minimum 3.0 overall grade point average and a 3.5 GPA in her Spanish major.

Rebekah Friesen of Troy, Mich., was awarded the Premio Inca Garcilaso de la Vega Award. The award is given to a student who demonstrates overall excellence in the study of Spanish language and literature.

Molly Gauthier of Ada, Mich., was awarded a $1,000 Ruth Y. Kirby Scholarship in Spanish. The award provides financial assistance for Spanish majors and was made possible through a donation by the late Kirby, who taught Spanish in the Kalamazoo community.

Lindsay Gwyther of Rutland, Mass., was awarded a $2,000 President's Scholarship for Study Abroad. The award is given to a foreign language major to study abroad for at least one semester. To receive the award, Gwyther was required to have a minimum 3.0 overall grade point average and a 3.5 GPA in her Spanish major.

Anna Hamman of Greenville, Mich., was awarded a $2,000 President's Scholarship for Study Abroad. The award is given to a foreign language major to study abroad for at least one semester. To receive the award, Hamman was required to have a minimum 3.0 overall grade point average and a 3.5 GPA in her Spanish major.

Jessica Hendren of Clarkston, Mich., was awarded a $1,000 Ruth Y. Kirby Scholarship in Spanish. The award provides financial assistance for Spanish majors and was made possible through a donation by the late Kirby, who taught Spanish in the Kalamazoo community.

Erin Kidman of Cassopolis, Mich., was awarded a $1,000 Ruth Y. Kirby Scholarship in Spanish. The award provides financial assistance for Spanish majors and was made possible through a donation by the late Kirby, who taught Spanish in the Kalamazoo community.

Emily Kotarski of Dorr, Mich., was awarded a $500 Department Travel/Study Abroad Award. The award allows recipients to pursue their studies in Spanish outside of the United States.

Emily Krajewski of Battle Creek, Mich., was awarded a $500 Department Travel/Study Abroad Award. The award allows recipients to pursue their studies in Spanish outside of the United States.

Charity Mansfield of Mattawan, Mich., was awarded a $2,000 President's Scholarship for Study Abroad. The award is given to a foreign language major to study abroad for at least one semester. To receive the award, Mansfield was required to have a minimum 3.0 overall grade point average and a 3.5 GPA in her Spanish major.

Timothy Olson of Clinton Township, Mich., was awarded the Premio Antonio de Nebrija. The award is given to students who demonstrate overall excellence in the study of Spanish language and literature.

Maureen Osborne of Delton, Mich., was awarded a $400 Herb B. Jones Scholarship in Spanish. The award is given to students who demonstrate overall excellence in written and spoken Spanish.

Kelly Otterbein of Coopersville, Mich., was awarded the Premio Rosalla de Castro. The award is given to students who demonstrate overall excellence in the study of Spanish language and literature.

Joanna Peszko of White Lake, Mich., was awarded the Premio Suzanne M. Wheatley. The award is named in honor of a WMU Spanish major who died in a 1988 accident and awarded to a student on the basis of academic performance and an interest in traveling to Spain.

Laura Phelps of Farmington Hills, Mich., was awarded a $1,000 Ruth Y. Kirby Scholarship in Spanish. The award provides financial assistance for Spanish majors and was made possible through a donation by the late Kirby, who taught Spanish in the Kalamazoo community.

Kate Roelofs of Kalamazoo was awarded a $500 Department Travel/Study Abroad Award. The award allows recipients to pursue their studies in Spanish outside of the United States.

Donna Schnake of Grosse Isle, Mich., was awarded a $400 Herb B. Jones Scholarship in Spanish. The award is given to students who demonstrate overall excellence in written and spoken Spanish.

Kristina Sessoms of West Bloomfield, Mich., was awarded the Premio Marla Moliner. The award is given to a student for excellence in the study of Spanish language and literature.

Jessica Thornton of Southfield, Mich., was awarded a $1,000 Ruth Y. Kirby Scholarship in Spanish. The award provides financial assistance for Spanish majors and was made possible through a donation by the late Kirby, who taught Spanish in the Kalamazoo community.

Patricia Timmons of Portage, Mich., was awarded a $1,000 Ruth Y. Kirby Scholarship in Spanish. The award provides financial assistance for Spanish majors and was made possible through a donation by the late Kirby, who taught Spanish in the Kalamazoo community.

Erica Wade of Kalamazoo was awarded a $1,000 Ruth Y. Kirby Scholarship in Spanish. The award provides financial assistance for Spanish majors and was made possible through a donation by the late Kirby, who taught Spanish in the Kalamazoo community.

Julie White of Ludington, Mich., was awarded a $1,000 Ruth Y. Kirby Scholarship in Spanish. The award provides financial assistance for Spanish majors and was made possible through a donation by the late Kirby, who taught Spanish in the Kalamazoo community.

Lacey Wylie of Wyoming, Mich., was awarded a $1,000 Ruth Y. Kirby Scholarship in Spanish. The award provides financial assistance for Spanish majors and was made possible through a donation by the late Kirby, who taught Spanish in the Kalamazoo community.

Mary Zemlick of Portage, Mich., was awarded a $500 Department Travel/Study Abroad Award. The award allows recipients to pursue their studies in Spanish outside of the United States.

Tessa Ziebarth of Lawton, Mich., was awarded a $2,000 President's Scholarship for Study Abroad. The award is given to a foreign language major to study abroad for at least one semester. To receive the award, Ziebarth was required to have a minimum 3.0 overall grade point average and a 3.5 GPA in her Spanish major.

Media contact: Benjamin Myers, 269 387-8400, ben.myers@wmich.edu

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