Hispanic Studies Majors and Minors Among Most Selective Cohort of Inductees to Phi Beta Kappa

During the American Revolution, five students at William & Mary founded Phi Beta Kappa. They believed that a new nation required new institutions – cultural as well as political – and they were committed to intellectual fellowship shaped by the values of personal freedom, scientific inquiry, liberty of conscience, and creative endeavor. Their legacy, more than 240 years later, inspires today’s students to pursue these same values through a 21st century education in the liberal arts and sciences.

PBK’s very first meeting took place on December 5, 1776 in the Apollo Room of the Raleigh Tavern in Williamsburg. PBK is the oldest, largest, and most prestigious university academic honor society in the United States, with more than 290 chapters nationwide. Its members include 17 U.S. Presidents, 42 Supreme Court Justices, and more than 150 Nobel Laureates. The main selection criteria for student members are exceptional academic achievement, curricular breadth, and scholarly initiative in the liberal arts at William & Mary, and strong support from faculty members. More specifically, ideal qualifications include intellectual honesty and curiosity, careful scholarship, creativity, good character, and a commitment to the life of the mind. The selected students comprise no more than seven percent of each year’s graduating class.

The Hispanic Studies program is proud to share that six students majoring in HISP, and one student minoring in HISP, were selected among the outstanding cohort of Spring 2025 inductees.

Aaron Gardos (HISP & GOVT), co-recipient of the 2024 J. Worth Banner Award to the rising senior majoring in HISP with the highest GPA, served as an outstanding Teaching Assistant, and saw his interest in a Law career cemented during his experience as a Human Rights Fellow with the Comisión Provincial por la Memoria (Argentina).

Fiona Hodges (HISP & CHIN), co-recipient of the 2024 J. Worth Banner Award to the rising senior majoring in HISP with the highest GPA, studied abroad in La Plata during Spring 2024, where she interned at the Comisión Provincial por la Memoria’s museum focusing on Human Rights, participated in the Teaching Assistant Internship with HISP, and worked under Prof. Brix in a community-based project with the Charles City Elementary School.

Kate Kliment (HISP & IR) was also recognized with the 2024 J. Worth Banner Award to the rising senior majoring in HISP with the highest GPA, and will take the lessons of our program in her future career in Law.

Maddie Kysilko’s (HISP & HIST) historical approach was a much-welcomed contribution in all her HISP classes, while her strong linguistic abilities made her a great Teaching Assistant in our program.

Gillian McCollum’s (HISP & ENG) advanced linguistic skills helped her as she served in the Teaching Assistantship program with HISP and reached even higher levels during her summer experience in Cádiz.

Sophia Sickler (HISP & MATH) exemplifies PBK’s recognition to the breadth of a liberal arts education, and HISP was lucky to have her attend the Summer program in Cádiz in 2022, and to have her serve as an undergraduate Teaching Assistant.

Charlotte (Carlota) Visconsi (HIST major; HISP minor) participated in our semester study abroad program in Seville, was a Human Rights Fellow in Argentina, and jumped at the very rare opportunity of doing an independent study with Prof. Garrote Pascual reading aljamiado texts.

Hispanic Studies is proud to celebrate the academic achievements of all its students, and to see their commitment to the life of the mind be recognized. ¡Felicitaciones!