Grinnell College: Department of Spanish

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In the spring of 2000 former Grinnell Spanish professor Helena Percas de Ponseti generously established an endowment that permits the Department of Spanish to recognize the superior achievement of a graduating major through an award of $2000. The Department will select a senior Spanish major taking into account the following criteria:

• At least a 3.5 GPA in the Spanish major
• At least an overall 3.0 GPA
• Quality of the academic work in the major
• Evidence of a commitment to the study of Hispanic culture (the student's activities outside the classroom, for example, their involvement in supporting activities [lectures, visits by Hispanic authors, etc.] sponsored by the Department, Spanish Lab, the Spanish SEPC, recruitment of faculty).

Recipients:

• Margaret Funk, May 2008
• Anna Thomas, May 2007
• Kristin Boehne, May 2006
• Joseph Hansen, May 2005
• Georgia Hart, May 2004
• Phillip Cluphf, May 2003
• Jennifer Thornton, May 2002
• Matt Belknap, May 2001
• Troy Dougherty, May 2000 (first recipient)

Former Grinnell students Philip Guarco and Kathryn Jackson generously established an endowment that permits the Department of Spanish to recognize the achievement of a Spanish major through a yearly monetary award. The Department will select a junior Spanish major taking into account the following criteria:

• At least a 3.25 GPA in the Spanish major
• Successfull completion of at least three semesters of Spanish beyond Spanish 217
• Conscientious and dedicated junior in all of his or her Spanish courses
• Evidence of a commitment to intellectual life of the Spanish Department in and outside of class (including attendance to speakers' presentations, Spanish table, Spanish House activities, participation in newsletter, and Spanish Laboratory)

Recipients:

• Frida Rodríguez, 2008-2009
• Chao-Wei Hung, 2007-2008
• Nora Shields, 2006-2007 (first recipient)

James C. Randall was a Spanish major who spent 13 months living and studying in Santiago, Chile, during his third year as a Grinnell Student. Jim's experience in Chile facilitated his fluency in the Spanish language and greatly enhanced his awareness of, and interest in, the cultural and geopolitical environment in Chile and neighboring South American nations. Jim spent his summer vacation in Chile working with a program that constructed community facilities in rural villages.

The goal of this fellowship is to support a Spanish major or a Latin American Studies concentrator who wishes to carry out research or enhance a study abroad experience in Spain or Latin America. A wide range of projects and activities will be considered, though preference will be given to those who make a connection between their proposed activities and their academics in the project description.

Applicants should:

• Submit a letter of interest of three to four double-spaced pages that details the individual's plan
• Provide information on her/his preparation
• Explain how it relates to her/his interests and/or focus of study
• Include a brief budget
• Submit a copy of her/his transcript
• It is recommended that those planning to do service work or intern with an organization provide a letter from the group or organization that indicates their agreement with the plan.

Fellowships will be awarded based on student achievement in Spanish and Latin American Studies courses, as well as the academic merit and overall quality of the project. The value of the fellowship ranges from $1000 to $1250. The application deadline is the first Monday in March. Questions concerning this fellowship should be directed to the chair of the Spanish department or the Latin American Studies concentration.