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Junior receives scholarship from area communicators

May 30, 2008

KALAMAZOO--Gabriel Giron, a junior majoring in film, video and media studies at Western Michigan University, has received a $500 scholarship from InterCom, a Kalamazoo-based association of professional communicators.

Giron was announced as the scholarship recipient at InterCom's annual awards banquet, held May 15 at the Fetzer Center. At the same event, WMU President Emeritus Diether H. Haenicke was honored for his contributions to professional communication with the Tony Griffin Golden Word Award.

A graduate of Gull Lake (Mich.) High School, Giron is a U.S. Army veteran and a cancer survivor. He joined the military to pay for his college education. While serving, he was diagnosed with stage 3B testicular cancer. Giron said it was during his recovery at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., that he was inspired to follow his passion for film after returning to Kalamazoo. He plans to work in the field of communication to touch people "in transformative ways."

The scholarship recognizes Giron for both his academic and extracurricular achievement within the study of communications. He is the son of Judah Gesmundo of Richland, Mich., and Ruben Giron of New York City.

Established in 1984, the InterCom Memorial Scholarship honors the memory of Kipp Aldag, Bobbie Darling and Theresa Strome, who made significant contributions to the field of communications in the Kalamazoo community.

Media contact: Thom Myers, (269) 387-8400, thom.myers@wmich.edu

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