This year marks the fifth award ceremony for the Department of Spanish and Hispanic Studies.
The awards honoring the students included faculty choice awards, the Service Award, the Senior Honors Scholar and the Antonio Rivarés Award.
There were musical pieces performed at the beginning, middle and end of the ceremony.
The musical pieces included “Serenata Mexicana” by Manuel Ponce, “Los Pájaros Perdidos” by Astor Piazzolla, “Aranjuez” by Joaquín Rodrigo and “Granada” by Agustín Lara.
Department Chair Dr. Komla Aggor gave opening remarks, beginning by welcoming those in attendance.
Aggor thanked the faculty for the “support they provide each day for the students to succeed.”
Aggor said the awardees were selected on a basis of GPA and spoken language proficiency.
The first students to receive awards were those chosen by their own professors for the Faculty Choice Awards.
Following the Faculty Choice Awards was one of the musical pieces performed by Patricia Bedford and Echo Wilson.
Both Bedford and Wilson are adjunct professors at the northwest campus for Tarrant County College. Bedford teaches Voice and Musical Appreciation and Wilson teaches piano.
Sra. Karla O’Donald presented the Service Award to senior Maggie Fitzpatrick.
Dr. Mary McKinney, who announced the event, presented the Senior Honors Scholar award to senior Caleigh Prewitt.
The Antonio Rivarés Award, the highest honor in the award ceremony, was given to Jenna Wiles.
Aggor said “this award is presented to a graduating Spanish major who, during his or her studies at TCU, has demonstrated consistent outstanding scholastic performance and continued interest in the activities of the Spanish program.”
Antonio Rivarés was a professor at TCU and served as chair of the department of Modern Languages and Literatures from 1965-1979.
A painting was revealed at the ceremony of Rivarés that will be hung in the department.
His niece, Rosabel Rivarés, introduced the award by saying her uncle “would certainly be proud.”
She also told the story of her uncle’s life, including that he founded the department of Spanish on TCU’s campus, continued to develop it as a department of Hispanic culture and shared the fact that one of his former students is now Pope Francis.
Wiles is a double major in Hispanic Studies and Neuroscience, has studied abroad twice, has made the Dean’s List four times and is a Chancellor Scholar.
Wiles said she is “excited to be practicing medicine in a Spanish speaking area” and explained her ability to speak Spanish feels like a “superpower.”
McKinney made closing remarks, thanking everyone who was able to attend and said the students “make it a pleasure for us to come to work everyday.”
There was a mariachi band surprise at the end of the ceremony as well as a reception in the atrium of Scharbauer Hall.
Faculty Choice Award Winners:
1. Dr. Komla Aggor
Courtney Hall
Jewel Sullivan
2. Dr. David Bedford
Natalie Means
Kendal Chaker
3. Dr. Regan Boxwell
Allison Davis
Paige Poe
4. Dr. Lee Daniel
Avery Haugen
Sue-Jin Grenn
5. Dr. Arturo Flores
Sheridan Johnston
Allison Riemersma
6. Dr. Bonnie Frederick
Nicole Hicks
Brendan Mulqueeny
7. Dr. Donald Frischmann
Daniel Castro
8. Dr. Dianne Hobbs
Shannon Edmond
Gaby Perez-Marquez
9. Dr. Sohyun Lee
Jordan Macaskill
Audrey Laker
10. Karen Martin
Daniel Athenour
Hayley Zablotsky
11. Dr. Mary McKinney
Claire Bordeaux
Graydon Jones
12. Karla O’Donald
Makenzie Burnett
Sofia Wong
13. Dr. Ryan Schmitz
Haley Schroer
Melissa Moreira
14. Dr. Steven Sloan
Riley Smith
Felisa Martinez