Spanish Major Rosalie Vendrell Recognized with UGA Presidential Award of Excellence 

Rosalie Vendrell will graduate this Spring with honors, a double major in Spanish and English, and the UGA Presidential Award of Excellence. A select group of UGA students receive this award in their final year of study. These individuals represent the top one percent of undergraduates at UGA who excel not only in academics but also in their service to the community and in their leadership both on and off campus. 

Rosalie Vendrell is a proud Puerto Rican woman from Valdosta, Georgia. Her strong sense of community and justice fueled her successful college career and her decision to become a lawyer. She has been admitted to UGA’s Law School for Fall 2023. 

In her commitment to the community, Rosalie links her family background with her experiences as a student in the Department of Romance Languages: “Many of the Spanish classes I took focused on learning more about the Hispanic community in Athens and giving back to them. Through the Spanish program, I became a part of an organization called U-Lead which focuses on tutoring and preparing students for college, specifically undocumented students and students from immigrant families. I am grateful to be Puerto Rican because it grants my family and myself citizenship, but I realize that not all Hispanic families in the United States have this same right. I have always wanted to do whatever I can to help other Latines advance in this country, and this organization allows me to directly give back to students who have a similar background to me. This is just one example that shows how those in the Spanish Department truly care about others in this community, which I have been able to see first-hand.” 

In addition to participating regularly in U-Lead Athens, in the last few years, among other activities Rosalie became a member of UGA’s Undocumented Student Alliance, a Student Leader at UGA’s Wesley Foundation, an intern at The Georgia Review, and created Students with a Testimony’s monthly newsletter. 

Rosalie pointed to the supportive environment that she found in Romance Languages as a key for her success. “As a Puerto Rican woman from Valdosta, Georgia, pursuing a Spanish major has allowed me the opportunity to revisit my roots at the university level. I have learned so much about my own culture, as well as others. The Spanish program provided a community that made UGA feel like a home away from home. My professors and Spanish advisor have encouraged me and provided all the support I needed to succeed at UGA. I know that they care about me and believe in my ideas and life goals. One of the biggest aspects of being a Latina to me is the idea of making your family and ancestors proud, and I can say that I have been able to do that through the help of the Spanish Program. I know that the relationships I have made by being a part of this program will last a lifetime because they have truly become mi familia.” 

As an undergraduate student, Rosalie Vendrell has brightened our Spanish classes with her wit, her analytical skills, and her wonderful sense of humor. Congratulations Rosalie for all your stunning achievements!