Graduating Senior Awards – Merritt Cox

The Merritt Cox Award has been awarded to Sabina Valery and Caitlyn Whitesell.

This award commemorates Prof. Merritt Cox, a distinguished specialist in 18th century Spain. It is awarded to a graduating Hispanic Studies major who has achieved an outstanding level of academic excellence in Hispanic Studies, and will pursue a graduate degree in the field.

Sabina travelled to Madrid, Spain, as part of her freshman seminar in Hispanic Studies, and researched feminist movements fighting domestic violence against women in Madrid; she also served as an undergraduate Teaching Assistant in Hispanic Studies. Sabina will pursue an MA in Education, with a concentration in ESL and Bilingual Education, at W&M’s School of Education.

Caitlyn researched issues of bullying, diversity and inclusion while studying in Cádiz and Sevilla, Spain; she also interned at the Spanish Embassy in Washington D.C., and served as an undergraduate Teaching Assistant in Hispanic Studies. Caitlyn will pursue a M.A.Ed. in ESL and Bilingual Education. Her honors thesis examined the relationship between language of narrative and a bilingual’s experience of emotion.