2003 |
2002 |
2001 |
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Topekan receives 2003 Ermal Garinger Scholarship |
Brandon Weckbaugh,
a 2003 graduate of Topeka West High School, was presented the 2003 Ermal Garinger
Scholarship at the KFLA banquet in Wichita on November 8, 2003. He is shown
here accepting the congratulations of Cynthia Appl, with whom he studies German
at Baker University.
This $300 scholarship
is awarded annually to a deserving high school or junior college student who
plans to continue his or her study of languages in college. It was established
more than a decade ago by longtime KFLA member Ermal Garinger to encourage high
school students to continue language study in college.
Weckbaugh began his study of German at Topkea West. Originally, he only wanted
to complete the Regents requirement of two years of a foreign language, but
he soon discovered he had an affinity for German. After winning the AATG-PAD
Travel-Study Trip to Germany (elegibility for this award was based on his high
scores on the National German Exam), he decided to major in German in college.
Weckbaugh was nominated by Jenny Banks, German teacher at Topeka West. She writes
that Brandon "has consistently exceeded expectations for his level, setting
high standards for himself, and constantly pushing his own pace.. . and he always
strove to express himself as a native speaker." While in high school, Weckbaugh
was a member of the TWHS swim team. He is an accomplished violinist, and has
earned the rank of Eagle Scout.
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Manasvi Ravichandar receives language study honors in 2002 |
The 2002 recipient of the Ermal Garinger Scholarship studied Spanish at Wichita East High School with David Shelly and is currently attending Wichita State University. Manasvi Ravichandar is an avid student of languages. Spanish is her fifth language; the first four are English, Tamil, Hindi, and Telugu. She loves the study of languages, and "being able to think of an idea in different ways or being able to express myself in more ways than one gives me a feeling of empowerment and knowledge." She quotes Charlemagne "to have another language is to possess a second soul."
"I believe it [the study of languages] adds to my personality and makes me better rounded in terms of academics as well as communication and socialization. Another reason why I want to contiue studying foreign languages is its usefulness in my future in terms of my career and other goals. I plan on going into some kind of business education. It is well known, that in the business world, communication with people of different race and tongue is necessary. Being aware of this, it is in my best interest to learn as many foreign languages as I can, so that I will be a more valuable employee."
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2001 Ermal Garinger Scholarship Honors Jamie Gritz |
Jamie Gritz of Eureka, Kansas, received the 2001 Ermal Garinger Scholarship at the Kansas Foreign Language Asso-ciation confer-ence. Jamie was nominated by Eureka High School Spanish Teacher Karen Gudde and Butler County Community College Instructor Marsha Mawhirter. This award is named for longtime KFLA member Ermal Garinger, who established the award more than a decade ago to encourage high school students to continue language study into college. Two characteristics stand out in Jamie's nomination letters: natural ability and personal standards. Both her teachers highlighted her desire to create with the language, her ability to circumlocute, her quickness at internalizing vocabulary, and application of new information to old. They praised Jamie's abilities as a critical listener and her level of curiosity. Jamie's personal standards are evidenced by her enthusiasm and interest for learning Spanish and by her drive to go beyond what was simply "required." She understands that in addition to the "nuts and bolts" of the language, there are many extraneous or connected topics. Her curiosity benefits her teachers and fellow students.
An incident when she was young illustrates Jamie's underlying interest in learning Spanish. "I can remember walking through the mall and looking to my right to see a Hispanic family speaking in Spanish. I stood there in awe, wishing I knew what they were saying. Their language was so amazing to me, and I was very curious about it. When I had a chance to take a Spanish class in the ninth grade I was very excited. I enjoyed it so much that I continued to study all throughout high school and now in college." Jamie hopes to pursue a career working in some type of translator or interpreter position, or following the option of becoming a teacher of foreign languages. To pursue these goals, she "wants to obtain a thorough knowledge of the language by traveling" to Hispanic countries. We wish Jamie the full attainment of her career goals. The $300 Ermal Garinger Scholarship was presented to Jamie Gritz at the Annual Banquet and Business Meeting at the KFLA Conference .
| Jamie was nominated for the Ermal Garinger Scholarship by her Eureka High School teacher Karen Gudde on the left, and by Marsha Mawhirter, Spanish instructor at Butler County Community College, on the right. Jamie and her mother are in the center. |  |
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