SLLC Graduate Students Awarded for Commitment to Students

Theavy Din and Daniela Paz Henandez have been recognized by the Graduate School.

By Lauren Hargrave

Two graduate students in the School of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures (SLLC) have received 2023–24 Outstanding Graduate Assistant Awards. Theavy Din, a Ph.D. student in French, and Daniela Paz Hernandez, a Ph.D. student in Spanish, are among approximately 80 graduate students recognized across campus by the Graduate School for their teaching and impact. 

Din, whose research interests are in the realm of French Linguistics, was nominated for her enthusiasm for teaching and her ability to explain the intricacies of the French language to students. Din encourages her students to apply themselves so they can emerge from her classes as confident French speakers and critical thinkers. Din is passionate in her pursuit of linguistic answers and routinely takes student questions to the Académie Française, the governing French language entity. Outside of the classroom, she joins her students in extracurricular activities including cooking classes in the Language House, guest speaker talks and more. 

Hernandez was recognized for her classroom management skills and ability to create an interactive learning environment for her students. She has also been involved in curriculum development, contributing to the redesign of several Spanish courses. Hernandez takes her teachings beyond the classroom: In her “Spanish for Life Sciences” class, students identify plants in the university’s gardens and discuss their properties in Spanish. 

Mel Scullen, director of SLLC, expressed gratitude for the school’s many “wonderful teaching assistants, research assistants and administrative assistants.” 

“We are especially happy and proud that the university has recognized, in particular, Theavy and Daniela for their outstanding work,” she said.