Evansville Day School senior Gianna Meckler has been selected as one of the recipients of the 2018 Indiana Outstanding High School Student of Spanish Award by the Indiana Chapter of the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese (AATSP). Gianna joins a growing list of EDS students to receive the award in three of the last four years.

According to Israel Fernando Herrera, Vice President of AATSP Indiana, Gianna was selected for the award because, “her outstanding academic record, exceptional interest for the Iberoamerican culture, exemplary community service, remarkable overseas experience and astonishing passion for Spanish were evident in her dossier and nomination presented by Spanish teacher Linda Huber.”

Outstanding, exceptional, exemplary, remarkable, and astonishing, indeed. Gianna participated in a full-immersion language course in Antigua, Guatemala, and later practiced her language skills in a real-world setting in Costa Rica. She is now actively pursuing an internship with a local Spanish community outreach program and plans to pursue a Spanish degree in college, along with her medical degree, as to better serve our increasingly diverse community.

When asked about the award, Gianna shared, “I am incredibly grateful to have been selected as a winner of this prestigious award. Spanish has been an important part of my life since first grade, and it has given me a myriad of unique opportunities over the years, whether those be in the form of travel abroad, community service, or otherwise. In my opinion, receiving this recognition is just the icing on the cake after so many years of dedication to the Spanish language.” Meckler continues, “Thank you [also] to all my teachers who have helped me along the way.”

Gianna’s Spanish teacher Linda Huber says, “Gianna shows initiative, perseverance and focus. She has an interest in using Spanish in the medical field and took it upon herself to begin a Future Healthcare Professionals Club at our school. . . [She] is an enthusiastic learner and continues to go above and beyond the work of other students and looks for ways to increase her language knowledge and ability.”

Evansville Day School is proud of Gianna for showcasing the Portrait of a Graduate qualities in incredible ways. She is a leading example of a balanced, resilient, globally minded, entrepreneurial learner, and we cannot wait to see where life will lead her. We have no doubt she will achieve greatness in the medical field and leave a lasting impact on those she serves!