News Release
May 2002
(Bethlehem,
Pennsylvania) - Moravian College graduate M. Leslie Smith has been selected
to receive a prestigious Fulbright Scholarship. Smith will spend a year
in Madrid, Spain, researching the roles of Spanish women during the
beginning years of franquismo (1930's and 1940's), focusing on how women
were affected by the literature of the time. Smith's Fulbright Scholarship
is the sixth such award given to a Moravian student in recent history.
She is one of only sixty applicants to receive the award nationwide.
Smith will conduct research and attend classes at the
Instituto Universitario de Estudios de la Mujer (IUEM), the women's
studies institute of the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid.
The research will be an extension of Smith's honors thesis,
"The Literary Portrayal of the Roles of Spanish Women in Four Post-Civil
War Novels," an analysis of the female protagonists in Camilo José
Cela's La colmena, Mercé Rodoreda's La plaza del Diamante, Carmen
Martín Gaite's El cuarto de atrás, and Carmen Laforet's
Nada. These four post-Spanish Civil War novels portray the roles of
women during the 1930's and 1940's, the beginning years of franquismo.
Dr. Carmen Ferrero-Pino, assistant professor of Spanish,
who served as Smith's advisor, said, "The Fulbright is a great
honor to Leslie and to Moravian College." "While conducting
research at the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Leslie will be
emersed in the langauage and culture of Spain which will expand her
horizons academically, socially, and culturally. "
Smith was appreciative of Ferrero-Pino's guidance and
expertise. "Dr. Ferrero gave me the guidance and freedom that I
needed when completing my honors project. She was also experienced in
what I was researching, and she provided resources that I otherwise
wouldn't have even been aware of," said Smith. "With my Fulbright
application, She has helped me make contacts and solidify my project.
She's become a sounding board and a friend to me."
Dr. Dennis Glew, professor of history and chair of the
scholarship committee, guided Smith throughout the application process.
"Dr. Glew has had unwavering faith in me, and he's been a constant
resource of information," said Smith "Applying for any type
of scholarship can be overwhelming, but Dr. Glew's experience kept me
focused and his encouragement kept me going. Just walking into his office
provided a wave of relief whenever I was feeling overwhelmed with applications,
my honors project, classes, or anything else because his belief in me
and what I was doing never faltered," Smith said.
Smith's future plans focus on teaching. "Upon returning
to the United States, I plan to teach either English literature or English
as a second language in a high school while pursuing my master's degree
in either English literature or education. I will most likely teach
at an inner-city school for a while and eventually live abroad and teach
English as a second language in a Spanish-speaking country," Smith
said. "I know that I am ready to share my education and the importance
of education with others. There is never an end to learning, and the
best teachers are lifetime learners. I plan to spend the rest of my
life teaching and learning from other people."
The
daughter of George R. and Joyce Smith of Sugarloaf, Pennsylvania, Leslie
attended Hazleton Area High School. She graduated this spring from Moravian
College with a 4.0 grade-point-average and received a Bachelor of Arts
in both English and Spanish.
Smith has been recognized with a number of Moravian's
highest academic awards including the Moravian College Alumni Fellowship
Award (for academic achievement, campus leadership, and community service);
the Virginia Chatfield English Scholarship (English major with highest
GPA); and Comenius Scholar (highest academic scholarship for entering
students at Moravian).
A regular on the Dean's List at Moravian, Smith is a member
of Omicron Delta Kappa (national honor society) and received their award
for Moravian College's "Unsung Hero," and the Sophomore "Rising
Star."
Smith is a member of Sigma Tau Delta (English honor society),
Phi Sigma Iota (foreign language honor society). She served as president
of Phi Eta Sigma (national leadership honor society ) and as secretary
of Kappa Delta Pi (educational honor society).
While at Moravian, Smith worked with The Learning Connection
Mentoring Program - serving as a mentor for a local elementary school
students. She served as president and treasurer of the Zinzendorf Literary
Society, Student Academic Advisor, Manuscript Literary Magazine board
member, Comenian newspaper staff, IMPACT campus programming board, and
Emerging Leaders Program.
Smith was a student teacher at a number of Bethlehem schools.
During the spring, she taught 7th grade Developmental Reading and English
Language Arts at Northeast Middle School and she taught 9th grade Honors
and Applied English at Freedom High School. Previously, she worked with
students at Liberty High School and Moravian Academy.
Smith is the fourth Moravian student in the last four
years to win a prestigious Fulbright. Last year, Courtney Rice, a German
major from the class of 2001, received a Fulbright Scholarship and served
a year teaching English at a German middle school in the town of Oberschönau
in Sachsen (Saxony). She continued her research on the history of 18th
and 19th century Moravian education.
Daniel Byrne, a German and history graduate from the class
of 2000, received a Fulbright Scholarship in 2000 and served as a "pädagogischer
assistant" teaching history at a high school that prepares students
for university studies. Byrne also conducted research on postwar author
Heinrich Böll.
Marianne Zwicker, a German graduate of the class of '99,
received a Fulbright in 1999 and spent a year conducting research in
Berlin on the status of Germany's Gypsies following the Holocaust.
Other Fulbright recipients from Moravian include Patricia
McAndrew, class of 1968, an honors history student who received the
award to work with a well-known Danish ballet master. Helen Bachonin,
class of 1965, received a Fulbright for study at the University of Madrid.
The U.S. Congress created the Fulbright Program in 1946,
immediately after World War II, to foster mutual understanding among
nations through educational and cultural exchanges. Today the Fulbright
Program is the U.S. Government's premier scholarship program. It enables
U.S. students, artists and other professionals to benefit from unique
resources all over the world.
Each year the Fulbright Program allows Americans to study
or conduct research in over 100 nations. The Institute of International
Education (IIE) coordinates the activities relevant to the U.S. graduate
student program and conducts an annual competition for the scholarships,
most of which are for one academic year of study or research.
The Fulbright (Full Grant) provides round-trip transportation;
language or orientation courses, where appropriate; tuition, in some
cases; book and research allowances; and maintenance for the academic
year.
The U.S. Student Program is designed to give recent B.S./B.A.
graduates, masters and doctoral candidates, and young professionals
and artists opportunities for personal development and international
experience. Most grantees plan their own programs.
Moravian College is a private, coeducational, selective
liberal arts college located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Tracing its
founding to 1742, it is recognized as America's sixth-oldest college.
Visit the Web site at www.moravian.edu.
