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Student takes second place at international convention

April 8, 2010

KALAMAZOO--Laura J. Citino, a Western Michigan University senior from Ypsilanti, Mich., earned a second-place creative writing prize at the 2010 Sigma Tau Delta International Convention last month in St. Louis, Mo.

During Sigma Tau Delta's annual convention, this international English honor society honors undergraduate-, graduate- and professional-level students for high achievement in their English language and literature studies.

Citino was honored through an awards program for active members of the society who give the best presentations at the annual convention. She took second place in the program's creative nonfiction category for "Souvenirs," a story about her experience studying in Bonn, Germany.

A double major in German and creative writing, Citino expects to graduate in May 2010, then pursue graduate study in both of those fields. She has been serving as the communication officer for the University's Sigma Tau Delta chapter. Her award-winning story grew out of experiences she had as a member of WMU's Lee Honors College when she studied in Bonn in spring 2009.

While there, Citino completed an internship in a German-speaking kindergarten and for her honors college thesis, also wrote creative nonfiction essays in both her native and foreign language. She presented a collection of these essays in a bilingual reading at the honors college in February.

Citino was named WMU's Presidential Scholar in Foreign Languages earlier this year. The Presidential Scholar designation is the highest undergraduate award the University can bestow. The honor goes to the most outstanding seniors in each of WMU's academic schools, departments and specialty programs. Only 46 out of more that 5,600 seniors were named 2010 Presidential Scholars.

A graduate of Ypsilanti High School, Citino is a recipient of WMU's prestigious Medallion Scholarship. She co-edits the Laureate, the honors college's undergraduate literary journal; works as a consultant for the Writing Center; is a disc jockey for 89.1 WIDR FM, the student-run indie radio station; and twice served as a peer consultant for the Writing Studio program.

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Media contact: Jeanne Baron, (269) 387-8400, jeanne.baron@wmich.edu

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