Summer 2011 - Austin College Magazine

74443 Austin College_Layout 1 6/24/11 2:01 PM Page 14Courses in German multiplied; she lived in the German wing of Jordan FamilyLanguage House for an immersion in language and culture. She spent a JanuaryTerm in intensive language study in Berlin and her junior year abroad at theJohannes Gutenberg Universität in Mainz. She received the Clara Zauk Binkley andJames Binkley Scholarship in Foreign Languages and the Wilkes Family EndowedStudy Abroad Scholarship. In January 2011, she traveled back to Mainz to conductresearch for her Austin College honors thesis in German.“Learning a foreign language has been such a powerfully positive experience inmy life that I am motivated to promote the learning of foreign languages, which Ibelieve will foster better international cooperation,” Katherine said. “The Fulbrightexperience will give me the opportunity to help teach German students about myown language and culture, which will in turn give them the tools to benefit theirfuture careers and lives, as well as the relations between our countries.”At graduation, Katherine received the Robinson Scholarship Medal as one of thetwo top scholars in the Class of 2011. The summa cum laude graduate also wasselected to Phi Beta Kappa and Alpha Chi national honor societies, as well as nationalhonor societies in political science and German.In the long term, Katherine is considering further teaching of English abroad, acareer in foreign services, or law school, paths that would combine her desires forexciting, challenging, and rewarding work. “Austin College has prepared me for thisidea of success by making me learn how to learn; how to truly draw connections between differentpoints of view and different fields of study,” she said. “The expanded world view that results froma liberal arts education extraordinarily fosters creativity and a desire to continue learning.”ERIN SWEENEYAUSTIN COLLEGE ALTRUSA OUTSTANDING SENIOR WOMANFULBRIGHT RECIPIENT 2011-2012A brush with her own mortality—through melanoma surgery as a high school student—gave ErinSweeney “the burning desire to live the rest of my life with passion, purpose, and faith.”After four years at Austin College, that desire is burning still. Everything Erin does, sheapproaches with passion and enthusiasm—and she does alot. Her list of campus social and academic activities wouldfill the page, ranging from election to Student Assembly toinvolvement in the Catholic Church, volunteer service toPre-Law Society. She has studied internationally,completed a Mellon research fellowship, and received aGlobal Outreach Fellowship for international service inMoldova.Her enthusiasm and passion, as well as her academicsuccess and winning personality, combined to result in herselection as the 2011 Altrusa Outstanding Senior Woman.Erin also had an excellent academic record, graduatingsumma cum laude with a major in political science and aminor in history. Entering Austin College as the Jack B.Morris Presidential Scholar, she was awarded a Hatton W.Sumners Scholarship in Political Science and was selectedto Phi Beta Kappa and Alpha Chi national honor societies,as well as honor societies for history and political science.12 | Austin College Magazine Summer 2011