The award, presented at the 2013 Southwestern University Honors Convocation, recognizes excellence in Classics throughout the student’s 4 years.

Dr. H. Haskell, Chair of the Classics Program, read the following citation::

“Jenna Marie Gaska is the ideal liberal arts student. She opened the program [Honors Convocation] today as recipient of the Vicente D. Villa Student of the Year in Cell and Molecular Biology, and she comes now near the close as recipient of the Excellence in Classics Award. I am delighted to present this award on behalf of the Classics Program.  We make this award only under extraordinary circumstances. – Jenna provides such circumstances.

“Now one need not take my word for how extraordinary a student Jenna is. Here I can draw upon colleagues from around the world who have had the pleasure of working with Jenna. Jenna has taken a number of team-taught Latin literature classes with colleagues and students at other, very strong liberal arts colleges throughout the United States. Exams are graded anonymously, lest any one of us treat our own students differently. IN EVERY SUCH COURSE THAT JENNA HAS TAKEN, SHE HAS SCORED THE HIGHEST GRADE OF ALL STUDENTS IN THIS NATIONAL PEER GROUP. (I know this, because I have a way of hacking into the system once grades have been assigned.)

“Furthermore, last summer, Jenna participated in what certainly is the best and most rigorous summer study – travel program in Greece, College Year in Athens. The long-standing professor in charge writes, – and I quote, ‘Jenna is one of the very the best students that I have ever had. Please send more like her!’”

“This professor had better not hold his breath – students like Jenna are far and few between.

“Jenna, on behalf of the Classics Program, congratulations! You may be going on in the natural sciences, but, for a little light reading, we present you with the Oxford Classical Dictionary.”

Click to read about Jenna’s double major in Classics and Biology, and about her study abroad in Greece.