The Kristen Rushlow Living Latin Award
Kristen Rushlow (1989-2015) arrived at Western Michigan University as an inquisitive, cheerful, fun-loving student with a rare dedication to Latin and the world of ancient Rome. Steve Prince, her Latin teacher at St. Joseph High School, lit a fire of inquiry in her that burned brightly throughout her Latin career. Kristen took advantage of many opportunities at WMU, and beyond, that increased her promise of becoming a truly great teacher. She was especially fond of spoken Latin and attended the conversational Latin seminar at the University of Kentucky, Lexington, to develop her skill. Kristen was a principal organizer of the Aeneid Marathon at WMU in spring 2013. On that occasion, in an interview with WWMT TV, the local CBS television affiliate, she made the case for the importance of public readings of ancient literature. Upon graduation from Western Michigan University, she moved to Los Angeles, California, where she worked as a teacher's assistant in Latin at the Mirman School for Gifted Children. She brought joy into all her learning and teaching, as well as to her students and fellow teachers.
Award description
The Kristen Rushlow Living Latin Award provides support for a student to participate in the Paideia Institute's 'Living Latin in Rome' program in Rome, Italy. This five-week summer program teaches language and literature with an emphasis on conversational Latin. Trips to ancient sites around the city and region are included. A detailed description is available at the program website.
Interested students apply for the award by submitting a letter of interest to the Classics section faculty. Recipients of the award will be chosen by Classics faculty in consultation with the chair of the Department of World Languages and Literatures at WMU. The award will be announced by the end of December prior to the summer of the Living Latin in Rome program. Receipt of the award does not constitute acceptance into the Living Latin in Rome program.
Eligibility
To be eligible to receive the Kristen Rushlow Living Latin Award, a student must:
- Be enrolled at Western Michigan University at the time of application
- Have completed one or more courses beyond the first year of the Latin language before the start of the Living Latin in Rome program
Giving
Because Kristen was such a fine ambassador for Latin culture and literature, the Department of World Languages and Literatures has created the Kristen Rushlow Living Latin Award. Donations to the fund will help support the study of students who, like Kristen, are working on Latin language while participating in the Paideia Institute's 'Living Latin in Rome' program.