Spring Languages & Cultures Awards

Emily received the Outstanding ASL Minor award for great contributions to the Excel Language Center.

Chloe received the Outstanding ASL Minor award for unique excellence in all ASL courses.

Kennadi received the Outstanding ASL Minor award for contributions to incorporation of ASL and Deaf culture in medical field.

Zoë received the Outstanding ASL Minor award for immersion into the Deaf community, Deaf culture, and ASL.

“Hello, my name is Catriona and I’m currently a 5th year student in the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences and will graduate this semester. I am majoring in mechanical engineering with a double minor in chemistry and French. I have been studying French since I was 7 years old and am happy to be accepting the award for Outstanding French Minor for this semester of graduates. After graduation, I plan to work as an engineer in the medical device industry or as a civilian engineer in the military.”

In my nearly 20 years of college teaching, Ms. Cruz qualifies in the top 0.5 % of the students I have supervised. She is also in the top 1% in terms of commitment and personal responsibility. Because of her academic and personal skills, she will be recommended by our Department as Student of the Year, an award granted to seniors who have demonstrated extraordinary academic ability and involvement with our program. Ms. Cruz Duke has become a role model for her peers and has always excelled in the courses that she took with me during her undergraduate studies. The qualities that best describe Ms. Cruz Duke are her strong drive for academic pursuits and excellence, her desire to learn and explore ideas, and a strong sense of responsibility. She is a student who has demonstrated notable dedication to her studies by the quality of work that she submitted.

Ms. Cruz, a native of Honduras, is an extraordinary student, and her academic skills will only improve in a graduate program such as the MA in Leadership. She has profound interest in understanding the world around her, and has a great ability to think critically in a manner that is always academic and humane. Sofia Cruz Duke is not only a reliable and professional student and worker but she is also honest, very friendly and efficient. Her dedication has built a respectful reputation among faculty and students of the Department of Languages and Cultures at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs and at our local community.

It has been an extremely rewarding experience to see Christopher Marcial Cortez mature as a student in our Department. Christopher is a stellar and hardworking student who will be graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish. With no doubt, he will continue pursuing more challenging goals, as he is always looking for improving his knowledge in different fields. The following are his words: From a young age, I have always been driven by the thrill of adventure. I have traveled as much as I could, I consider myself a risk-taker by nature, and unafraid to take bold steps toward my goals; I have not let challenges and setbacks hold me back, one of my favorite quotes is "I am a man of fortune, and I must seek my fortune" but I'm also a man of integrity and honor with a commitment of leaving a lasting legacy of success and service.