Congrats CAL Outstanding Seniors!
Every semester the various departments and schools within the College of Arts and Letters select one outstanding senior from their graduating class. This fall was no exception, and the outstanding graduates and their families met up at Riles for cake and camaraderie the night before graduation, along with their families and the professors and staff members who wanted to let them know how much their hard work was appreciated.
This year’s outstanding senior from the School of Art and Design was Luz Llamas Duarte.
Luz, an art education major who is currently completing her student teaching in San Luis, joined the Outstanding Seniors ceremony via Zoom. “Teaching art [has] always been [Luz’] passion.” Her kind spirit and dedication to her craft made her stand out to her instructors. Her work embodies her commitment to those she loves and to a culture that she values and that has given back to her. She honors all those traditions through her artwork, teaching preparations, and devotion to community engagement.” Congratulations, Luz!
Craig Price was selected as the outstanding senior from the Department of Global Languages and Cultures.
Craig said that “Learning languages to connect and communicate with people & their culture” has been the most rewarding thing about his Spanish major. The Global Languages and Cultures faculty has been especially impressed by his collaboration with Karen Schairer on the Authentic Spanish Language and Cultures project—an endeavor that has not only showcased his interdisciplinary skills but also his commitment to creating oral histories, website content, and other resources for students and educators alike. Craig was also selected as the college’s Standard Bearer. The Standard Bearer carries the College flag during the commencement ceremony, signifying the second-highest overall performance in the College. Congratulations, Craig!
Liam Craddock was selected as the Outstanding Senior by the Department of History.
Liam Craddock was moved to pursue a degree from the Department of History so that he could comprehend both the present and the past while also thinking about how to build a better and more progressive future for all people. The history faculty have loved having him in their classes, noting that he’s a very sharp thinker, a dream writer, and all-around one of the best students the department has had in 20+ years. Liam is not sure what the future holds, but both grad school and writing science fiction are strong contenders. Congratulations, Liam!
Rose Phillips was chosen as the Outstanding Senior from the Kitt School of Music.
Music has always been a central part of Rose’s’ life, beginning when she was 5 and her mom taught her how to play the piano. Rose believes that “Learning and doing music, no matter the instrument, is a beautiful outlet to express your own emotions as well as those of the composer. Each piece has its own story and purpose, which has many times expanded [her] understanding and compassion for other peoples’ experiences.” Her Kitt School of Music professors have been especially impressed with her inventive and beautiful original compositions, as well as the solos she performed as a mezzo-soprano with the Shrine of the Ages Choir. In addition to her BA in Music, Rose will also receive a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology. Congratulations, Rose!
Andras Deak was selected as the Outstanding Senior from The Philosophy Department and the College of Arts and Letters’s Distinguished Senior.
Andras has always had a passion for understanding the world around him and gravitated toward the study of philosophy because he found it to be an effective tool for appraising new ideas and challenging long-held convictions. The PHI faculty praises Andras both as a student of Philosophy and as a model of perseverance, commitment, and intellectual engagement. Some of his achievements outside the classroom include an internship in the office of Senator Mark Kelly, tutoring for the Academic Success Center, and his ground-breaking participation in the 2022 Regents’ Cup Debate. In addition to his CAL degree, Andras will be receiving a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics. Congratulations, Andras!
The Department of Theatre selected Yulissa Chagollan as their Outstanding Senior.
The theatre faculty report that Yulissa is the most well-rounded and dependable practitioner in the department, and that the students the faculty could rely on her the most. Yulissa credits her emphasis in Theatre Performance with helping her, “grow out of [her] little box,” and also believes that, “everyone needs a little theatre in their life.” Congratulations, Yulissa!
Good luck to all of our newly graduated CAL students. We hope you continue to find success as you share your creativity with the wider world!