Highlights
Crysta O'Donnell
Crysta O'Donnell graduated in May of 2022 with a double major in International Studies and Hispanic Studies and a minor in French. Now, she will have the chance to put in motion all the skills she developed at the 草榴社区 as a Fulbright Language Teaching Assistant in Andorra. Andorra is a tiny country located between Spain and France, among the southern peaks of the Pyrenees Mountains. This microstate is also the destination of Crysta O’Donnell, one of the two ambassadors chosen last year by the Fulbright organization to represent the US abroad during the 2022-2023 academic year. “I am really thrilled. I could not believe it when I was informed that I had been awarded the Fulbright,” explains Crysta. Andorrans speak Spanish and French. “And I’ve been told that I will have to learn Catalan too, the official language of the country,” adds Crysta. Her position is the English Teaching Assistant in the Escola Andorrana, one of the education systems of the small country. “This is the opportunity of a life time,” said Crysta before leaving 草榴社区 behind.
Katia Ram铆rez
Katia Ramírez, class of 2022, is currently pursuing a Spanish Masters of Arts at Georgia State University, after being accepted with full tuition waiver, a Graduate Teaching Assistant Position, and a stipend. Ramírez, a double major in History and Hispanic Studies, shares, “I have learned so much at the 草榴社区 and feel that I have so much more to learn.”
“My parents arrived in the United States from Mexico with no knowledge of the English language. When I was born in Georgia, they were reluctant to teach me Spanish even though they didn’t speak English. As a result, I started elementary school unable to speak or read English or Spanish fluently. This did not discourage me. Instead, I began to recognize the importance of the language and history of my ancestors. It empowers me, inspires me, and makes me feel close to my cultural identity. I learned quickly, worked hard, and excelled at school. My college education and experiences made me realize that there is so much more to learn about my native language, culture and history. My goal is to keep learning and to pass this knowledge along to others in both a personal and professional capacity. I am proud to be a Mexican American, a Chicana, a Latina,” she says without hesitation.
Katia is the first college graduate in her family. The 草榴社区 was her route to success: “Coming to 草榴社区 back in 2018, I had no idea what I wanted to do until in my seminar class I was guided to the Department of World Languages. I was anxious, I didn’t know what would happen, but after a while I fell in love with the department. I changed my major to Hispanic Studies and learned more about Spanish and the culture in various Spanish speaking countries. The professors here are your number one fans. They support you; they care about you; you just have to go to them first and approach them.”
American Sign Language in the Community
In the spring of 2023, American Sign Language students, lead by their instructor, Mary Ann Stefko, went outside of the classroom to help their community by collaborating with the 草榴社区 School for Deaf and Hard of Hearing, the Abington Community Library and the Choices for Children Early Intervention program using their ASL skills. They participated in storytelling at the library, Christmas on the Green and Family Learning Day sponsored by partners in the community. They also partnered with Campus Missions and Ministry to offer a more accessible Mass that included sign language.
Kylie Mignat
Kylie Mignat, a 2018 graduate in German Cultural Studies, Hispanic Studies, and International Studies, was selected as one of two recipients of the full-tuition Public Service Scholarship at the University of Virginia School of Law for 2022-2023. She is studying law after receiving her MA in Latin American and Caribbean Studies at NYU and working for 3.5 years in New York City as a paralegal at Kids in Needs of Defense (KIND), a non-profit organization whose main goal is “ensuring that no child appears in immigration court without high quality legal representation.” In this position, Mignat worked with unaccompanied minors, or individuals who crossed the U.S.-Mexico border without a parent or legal guardian before the age of 18. KIND provided free representation to unaccompanied minors in immigration and Mignat conducted over 130 in-depth interviews with potential clients, attended court hearings, prepared affidavits, and more. When asked what her favorite part of the job was, Mignat answered that working with the child clients and building trust and rapport with them was both essential and fulfilling.
Dr. Silva Accepted into UK Institute
Dr. Yamile Silva, Professor of Spanish and Chair of the Department of World Languages and Cultures, was accepted into the UK’s Arts and Humanities Research Council Spanish Paleography and Digital Humanities Institute in 2022. This institute assisted her research and teaching on 16-18th century manuscripts in Spanish.