Three HISP Majors Inducted 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 three students majoring in HISP were selected among the outstanding cohort of 2026 inductees.

A double major in HISP and CAMS, Clara Rinker studied abroad in Sevilla during fall 2024; she also spent spring 2025 in Gijón where, thanks to the IFE program in Asturias, she held an internship in the Department of Physical and Analytical Chemistry at the University of Oviedo. Clara was one of two recipients of the J. Worth Banner Award, which recognizes HISP majors with the highest GPA after completion of their junior year.

Kimberlee Tozier (HISP & PSYC) made immense contributions to the wellbeing of the HISP program, including serving as an undergraduate Teaching Assistant in our faculty-mentored teaching internship.  Kimberlee's academic excellence and overall trajectory in our program were recognized with the James D. Carter Jr. Award.

Studying abroad in both Cádiz and Sevilla actually helped Zoe Zollinger take classes that counted toward both of her majors (HISP & PSYC). Zoe also served as an undergraduate Teaching Assistant in our faculty-mentored teaching internship. The Hispanic Studies program recognized her multiple contributions to the program with the MLL Outstanding Achievement Award for Excellence in Hispanic Studies.

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!