Everyone is required to take two consecutive years but many might not take more or learn the language as well as others. Junior “Madeleine” Josie Maw has a passion for learning Spanish and it shows in the classroom. She has worked hard for the Nebraska World Language Distinguished Scholarship 2020. 

Being a leader and her passion made Spanish teacher Candida Kraska notice her love for learning Spanish. She nominated Maw for this Scholarship.  

Nebraska World Language Distinguished Scholarship is a scholarship that is for students who committed to a new language, the culture, and the communications that come with it. It’s a statewide scholarship from the Nebraska Department of Education. 

“The World Honors Scholarship is a statewide recognition of high school students who go above and beyond the classroom expectations of world language” Maw Said. “Señora Kraska nominated me for a scholarship, and I was sent an essay prompt.”

Her classmates have even seen Maw’s passion for Spanish. Junior Anna Blumenthal is one of Maw’s fellow classmates. 

“I’m extremely happy that Josie received the World Language Scholarship,” Blumenthal said. “In class, she always tries really hard to not only practice using vocabulary and grammar but also to speak fluently and use little English.”

  However, Maw isn’t the only one who got this language scholarship. 

Senior Brianna Nelson got the scholarship last year from Kraska for her efforts in the Spanish classroom. 

“I had to be nominated by Mrs. Kraska for the scholarship. She saw how passionate I was for the language I was learning and thought I would be a good candidate” Nelson Said. “I then had to write two essays, one in Spanish one in English, explaining why I felt I would be good for the award. I was one of 12 in Nebraska to receive this award.”

Maw’s plans to go to college and still pursue her Spanish speaking at a higher level. With the hours of learning a language, she has opened doors and found a new way of communicating with people in the future. 

“Learning a language takes time, stay patient and diligent, and mastery will present itself,” Maw Said. “I would like to study Spanish in college, we’ll see what happens.”