Undergraduate Student News

Undergraduate Perspective: Megan Jula

My love for Spanish was inspired by a mission trip to the Hogar Rafael Ayau Orphanage in Guatemala in high school. I remember the girls from the orphanage teaching me the Spanish alphabet and wanting so badly to communicate more than A-B-C-D. When I came back home, I started studying Spanish. I continued Spanish classes at Indiana University, intending to minor. My love for the language was augmented when I volunteered for a summer at Project Mexico near Tijuana, Mexico after my freshman year. As a site leader directing American volunteers to build a home for an impoverished Mexican family, I saw the power of spoken and unspoken language.

One of my favorite classes at IU was the service-learning class Spain in Context where we taught Spanish to preschoolers. On the first day I told one little girl we would be learning Spanish. “Oh good, “ she responded enthusiastically. “I love spinach.”

A visit to my Spanish advisor soon after revealed that I could fit in a semester studying abroad in Lima, Peru and change my Spanish minor to a major (in addition to my two other majors in journalism and biology). Studying abroad was the most impactful experience of my college career. It wasn't always easy, but it was always formative. When my host Dad put his hand on my neck, I jokingly told him take his hand off my neck. Except I said the Spanish word culo (ass) instead of cuello (neck).  Needless to say, studying Spanish requires the ability to have a good laugh at yourself. I traveled, ate guinea pig, llama and every fruit I could find, improved my speaking, gained confidence and made life-long friends.

Spanish has also been extremely helpful to me as a journalist. Last summer I interned with the Arizona Republic in Phoenix, AZ, writing about immigration for their investigations team. I attended press conferences in Spanish and was able to interview migrant detainees. This summer I begin a reporting fellowship for the metro section of the New York Times and I am eager to speak Spanish there as well.

News and Awards

Sam Gentry received the Díaz Sejías Scholarship awarded by the department in support of his academic and career pursuits.

Megan Jula received the Herman B. Wells Senior Recognition Award which recognizes excellence in academic achievement and contributions to the campus community.

Neeta Patwari received the department’s Theodore Dorf Scholarship toward her summer study in Alcalá, Spain.

Craig Skillman earned a Kate Hevner Mueller Senior Recognition Award which recognizes students who have left the campus better than they found it by helping other students learn more about themselves, each other and the world outside the classroom.

Annaliese Toumey received a Kate Hevner Mueller Senior Recognition Award which recognizes students who have left the campus better than they found it by helping other students learn more about themselves, each other and the world outside the classroom.

Anna Zimmerman earned the Ashley Crouse Scholarship given by the department in support of her summer study in Barcelona, Spain.

Fullbright Scholars
Four department majors were among a group of students awarded Fulbright Scholarships this year. These students will be working as English teaching assistants in their host countries, and outside the classroom, engaging with local NGOs and organizations that align with their academic interests. Majors honored were:
Joseph Bradley, Mexico
Mary Grace Cramelspacher, Colombia
Megan Kelly, Colombia
Craig Skillman, Colombia

 

AATSP Honors
Seven department majors were honored with the Indiana Outstanding College Student Award by the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese. This award recognizes non-native students studying Spanish or Portuguese who have a GPA of 3.7 or above and participate extensively in events related to their language of study. Students honored were:
Megan Dyer, Portuguese
Joseph Germano, Portuguese
Holly Hays, Spanish
Emma Hughes, Spanish
Emily Milojkovitch, Spanish
Rebecca Reeder, Spanish
Andru Shively, Spanish

Graduated with Department Honors
Kaitlin Blansett, Spanish, advisor Anke Birkenmaier
Erin Cage, Spanish, advisor Laura Gurzynski-Weiss
Rachel Colegrove, Spanish, advisor Olimpia Rosenthal
Maria DeSanto, Spanish, advisor Alejandro Mejías-López
Megan Dyer, Portuguese, advisor Estela Vieira
Sheridan Halloran, Spanish, advisor César Félix-Brasdefer
Alison Hilmer, Spanish, advisor Ryan Giles

Phi Beta Kappa Electees
Shelby Batten
Jordan Berggoetz
Rachel Colegrove
Maria DeSanto
Megan Dyer
Cody Gage
Coleen Gaughan
Megan Kelly
Meredith Miller
Lauren Pach
Theresa Spech
Anneliese Toumey
Sarah Watkins