Giving Thanks: Scholarship Helps Double Major Achieve Goal of Working in Environmental Conservation

This November, members of our Fulbright College Family are sharing expressions of gratitude, letters of thanks and their appreciation for those who have helped make their educational journey possible. 

Meet Reina Watanabe, who thanks to the Melissa L. Maddox Endowed Award for Spanish Language and Study Abroad, is one step closer to her dream of working for environmental conservation non-profits at the intersection of agriculture and food security.

Melissa L. Maddox Endowed Award for Spanish Language and Study Abroad Recipient Reina Watanabe

Name: Reina Watanabe
Hometown: Houston, TX
Graduation: 2024
Major(s)/Minor(s): Spanish and Environmental Science double major

Activities/Interests: On the University of Arkansas campus, I have been involved with many organizations related to community, academics, and sports. Specifically, I serve as the College of Arts and Sciences Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Ambassador representing the Department of World Languages, Literatures and Cultures. I have a passion for creating a campus community that allows every student to feel connected and valued. I am also involved with Registered Student Organizations (RSOs) such as the Crop, Soil, and Environmental Science Club, Women’s Ultimate Frisbee, and serving as the Diversity, Inclusion, and You Club Vice President. As a rising senior, I have found my academic interests to be studying agricultural food systems resilience and food security within a Latin American context. I have completed a semester study abroad in Montevideo, Uruguay in the spring of 2022 where I participated in intensive Spanish immersion and took courses relating to Spanish culture, sustainability, and global food systems. I have shared this passion to study abroad and learn about Latin American culture firsthand by promoting study abroad experiences for other students on campus. I found the experiential and immersive learning of my semester abroad to be incredibly transformative and eye-opening. I currently serve as a Study Abroad Student Ambassador and as a Bumpers College International Programs Office Mentor. My plan to study abroad next fall in Quito, Ecuador was motivated by my rewarding experience abroad in Uruguay, and I hope to continue a lifelong journey of growing my cultural awareness and improving my Spanish language skills. 

Career Aspirations: Upon graduating from the University of Arkansas, I hope to pursue a career working for environmental conservation non-profits in Latin America. I am also exploring graduate study programs in Latin America to increase my research experience within the region and to continue developing Spanish fluency. Specifically, I am passionate about exploring how sustainable and biodiverse agricultural systems can be a tool in combatting community-scale food insecurity. The intersection of agriculture and food security fascinates me, and I would like to research as well as implement projects that use this intersection to foster sustainable change for communities.

In her own words:

Dear Mrs. Melissa M. Shaw,

My name is Reina Watanabe, and I would like to express the utmost gratitude for your scholarship contributions through the Melissa L. Maddox Endowed Award for Spanish Language and Study Abroad. This award will be incredibly helpful in funding my semester abroad in Quito, Ecuador next fall.

I am a rising honors senior pursuing degrees in Spanish and Environmental Science. On the University of Arkansas campus, I serve as the College of Arts and Sciences Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Ambassador representing the Department of World Literature, Languages, and Culture. I have a passion for creating a campus community that allows every student to feel connected and valued. I am also involved with Registered Student Organizations (RSOs) such as the Crop, Soil, and Environmental Science Club, Women’s Ultimate Frisbee, and I serve as the Diversity, Inclusion, and You Club Vice President.

My academic interests are studying agricultural food systems resilience and food security within a Latin American context. I have completed a semester study abroad in Montevideo, Uruguay in the spring of 2022 where I participated in intensive Spanish immersion and took courses relating to Spanish culture, sustainability, and global food systems. My semester of experiential and immersive learning was incredibly insightful in guiding my passion to be a lifelong cultural learner. I have shared this passion to study abroad and learn about Latin American culture firsthand by promoting study abroad experiences for other students on campus. I currently serve as a Study Abroad Student Ambassador and as a Bumpers College International Programs Office Mentor. My plan to study abroad next fall in Quito, Ecuador was motivated by my rewarding experience abroad in Uruguay, and I hope to continue the journey of increasing my cultural awareness and improving my Spanish language skills.

Upon graduating from the University of Arkansas, I hope to pursue a career working for environmental conservation non-profits in Latin America. I am also exploring graduate study programs in Latin America to increase my research experience within the region and to continue developing Spanish fluency. Specifically, I am passionate about exploring how sustainable and biodiverse agricultural systems can be a tool in combatting community-scale food insecurity. The intersection of agriculture and food security fascinates me, and I would like to research as well as implement projects that use this intersection to foster sustainable change for communities.

Again, I would like to express my gratitude for your wonderful gift and support. Your generosity will lighten the financial burden of studying abroad and give me more time to focus on my academic and cultural experience while living in Ecuador next semester. I hope that one day I can extend the same generosity you have extended to me by supporting future students to study abroad and learn about Spanish language and culture.

Thank you,

Reina Watanabe

For more information about the Melissa L. Maddox Endowed Award for Spanish Language and Study Abroad or to make a year-end gift to support the college’s students, faculty, or staff, please contact Fulbright College’s Office of Development and External Relations at 479-575-3712 or fulbright@uark.edu.