Languages and Cultures

Student Accomplishments

2015

Graduate Students

Morgan Pastner-Jaffe was accepted for an internship at Community Volunteers in Medicine in West Chester for Fall 2014, Winter 2015, Spring 2015. She serves as a Spanish/English interpreter.

Mac Weymouth was accepted for an internship at Community Volunteers in Medicine in West Chester for Summer sessions 1 and 2, 2015. He will serve as a Spanish/English interpreter.

Undergraduate Students

Emily Rooney was accepted for an internship at Upper Merion High School for Spring 2015. She serves as a bilingual ESL teacher's assistant.

Noelle Lemon, Ph.D. was accepted for an internship with Attorney Ubel Velez for Spring 2015. She serves as a bilingual aid for legal and undocumented clients.

Graduating German major Laura Schwartz received a US Teaching Assistantship in Austria, which is administered by the Austrian-American Educational Commission (Fulbright Commission). Laura will spend 2015-16 in Mistelbach, Austria teaching English to high school students.

Jillian Ruhl, German major, has been awarded a competitive scholarship from the PA German Society to support her studies in German at WCU.

2014

Lauren Devan, studying abroad this semester at IAU College in Aix-en-Provence, France participated in the 11th annual international student conference on U.S.-European relations entitled "Peace and Conflict in an Age of Total Surveillance." Taking place on IAU's Aix-en-Provence campus, the event was co-sponsored by Juniata College's Baker Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies and AEGEE: The European Students' Forum. Lauren majors in French at West Chester and had the opportunity to engage with students coming from programs in France, Belgium, Germany, Romania, Luxemburg and Italy.

Alexis Markiewicz (Spanish minor) has received a West Chester University Foundation scholarship to study abroad in Argentina during the summer of 2014.

2013

Robert Mejía and Dr. Andrea Varricchio have been selected for the Community Engagement Scholar Program, through WCUPA Service-Learning and Volunteer Programs (2013).

Hannah Mistovich (Spanish major and Russian Studies minor) has been awarded the 2012 Outstanding Student Award from the College of Arts and Sciences, and the national Premio Mario Vargas Llosa 2012 awarded by Sigma Delta Pi (the National Collegiate Hispanic Honor Society).

2012

Spring 2012 Student Internships:

Congratulations to the following students who received language internships through LAN 425/525:

• Nayda Alvarez: Spanish/English translator/interpreter and front desk assistant at the Centro Hispano, Daniel Torres, Reading.
• Marcelle Bacon: Spanish/English ESL tutor at Upper Merion Area Middle School.
• Marylisa Kelly: English as a Foreign Language instructor at One Way Idiomas, Salamanca, Spain.
• José Ortiz: Spanish/English interpreter/translator at Community Volunteers in Medicine, West Chester.
• Daryl Tubiello: Spanish/English ESL tutor at Upper Merion Area High School and Middle Schools.

2011

Jonathan Watkins published his poem "Bomber" in Europe in Villa Europa II 2011, Saarbrücken, Saarland University Press.

Hannah Mistovich (Spanish major and Russian Studies minor) received a College of Arts and Sciences Undergraduate Research Award to conduct research with Dr. Maria José Cabrera. She was nominated by WCU and received a fellowship from the Clarence Schock Foundation to cover full tuition for her senior year.

Miranda Colasante (Spanish Education) has received a scholarship from the Dr. & Mrs. Charles S. Swope Memorial Scholarship Foundation, an award determined by GPA and service to the community and to WCU.

2010

Micah Cook, Alexander Hickman, Lauren Kerstein, Phuong Ninh, Mark Poletti, Allison Villa, Tim Wilt, and David Windrim received a scholarship to support their study at Guizhou University (China) during the 2010 Winter Session. A reception was held by The Center for International Programs in April 2011. Professor Jie Cai accompanied the group and also served as instructor.

Beth Serowsky, Tim Wilt, David Windrim, Melissa Patterson, and Alexander Hickman studied Chinese Language and Culture at Guizhou University (China) in the Summer of 2011, accompanied by Professor Jie Cai.

Sandra Di Laura, Jessica Milton, Daniel Bach, Marylisa Kelly and Michele Mercogliano received language internships for the Fall 2011 semester (under Language Internship -LAN 425/525). Sandra Di Laura and Jessica Milton (Spanish/English ESL assistants in Upper Merion Area School District, PA); Daniel Bach (Spanish/English interpreter/translator at Community Volunteers in Medicine, West Chester, PA); Marylisa Kelly (English as a Foreign Language instructor at One Way Idiomas, Salamanca, Spain); Michele Mercogliano (English language editor at SAP Labs, LLC in Newtown Square, PA).

• Previous internship recipients include: Paul Scaperotto, Kara Metz, Mark Engler, Maggie Busch, Daryl Tubiello, and Hannah Mistovich.
• Christine Vecchione also received an internship in Italian with Garrubbo Guide to Italian cooking, an online service, in the Spring semester of 2010.