Academic Achievement Awards – Spanish

April 2006

Outstanding Senior Scholar in Spanish

Zane K. Haider

“My name in Zane K. Haider and I’m a Biology and Spanish major at UConn. I am planning on attending dental school in 2007. I am about to start my fourth year at Storrs. I started studying Spanish in South Windsor Public Schools in 8th grade, and continued through high school. I have had an excellent experience with all my Spanish professors and classes here at UConn. Though my primary interest lies in the sciences, Spanish serves as a wonderful accessory major for me. I cannot wait to use all the Spanish I have learned in the States and in Spain to help my future patients in my dental practice.”

The Chester Obuchowski Memorial Scholarship

Kate Krotzer

“I began studying Spanish in elementary school and have studied it ever since. At UConn I have taken Spanish classes each semester and studied abroad in Granada, Spain for the Spring 2005 semester. Currently, I am a junior in the NEAG School of Education as a Spanish Education major. As an Honors student in NEAG, I am working on a thesis project that aims to examine class participation patterns in secondary foreign language classes. This May I am very excited to go back to Granada on vacation.”

Excellence in Spanish

Lauren Awerman

“I began studying Spanish as a 6th grader in Florham Park, New Jersey, my hometown, and continued throughout my senior year of high school. At UConn I have had the opportunity to take many Spanish classes with great professors. Last Spring (2005), during my sophomore year, I studied abroad in Granada, Spain. Living with a family and taking classes at the University of Granada was an amazing experience. It was a semester that I will never forget and one that undoubtedly helped improve my Spanish. As a student in the NEAG School of Education, I look forward to graduating in May 2008 with my Masters in Spanish and pursuing a job in a city on the East Coast.”

Erin Collins

“I first began to study Spanish during high school. In between my sophomore and junior year, I spent a month in Venezuela with a family friend where I fell in love with the language as well as Latin American culture. My semester abroad in Granada, Spain increased my passion for Spanish and motivated me to apply for a teaching assistantship in Spain which I hope to receive for the next academic year. In addition to Spanish, I will also receive a degree in Business, and I hope to pursue graduate study and a career in foreign service in the future.”

Ellen Pearce

“My name is Ellen Pearce and I am a senior at UConn. I first became interested in Spanish because my grandfather was born in Cuba; it seemed fitting to learn the language some of my relatives spoke. Another reason Spanish interests me is its prominence in the world today; I thought knowing it would give me a myriad of opportunities to travel and learn. I decided to major in Spanish because of the year that I spent studying abroad in Granada, Spain. Although my other major is Communication Disorders, specifically Audiology, Spanish will be useful, especially in a hospital setting.”

Caitlin Sochacki

“I began studying Spanish during my high school years. I decided to further my studies at UConn, where I majored in Spanish and studied for a semester in Granada, Spain. While at UConn, I also majored in history, with a focus on Latin American history and Latino rights. My senior thesis, entitled Phoenix Rising: WWII and its Effects on Mexican-American Communities, combined all these interests. I shall be attending UConn Law School next semester, where I hope to pursue a career in international and immigration law.”