UNH Today

Five New Hampshire students have been awarded B. Thomas Trout Scholarships from the College of Liberal Arts to support their study abroad experiences in the 2016-17 academic year.

The scholarship recipients are Jessica Gero, an English teaching and classics double major from Milton; Jess Hesse, a German major from Derry; Andrew Jablonski, a French major from Newmarket; RoseAlaina Leone, a psychology and anthropology double major from Walpole; and Carlos Martens, an English journalism major from Newmarket.

Jessica Gero will participate in the Rome, Italy, January term program with UNH professor of classics R. Scott Smith, who will teach about Roman architecture and society. Senior lecturer in classics Susan Curry nominated Gero for the award, saying “Jess is one of the most reliable, honest, hard-working and excellent students I have ever encountered.” Gero’s goal is to teach English, classics and Latin at the high school level. She’s hopeful that her time in Rome will benefit not only her own education but that of her future students.   

Jess Hesse will take part in the Berlin, Germany, program this summer under the direction of interim senior vice provost and associate professor of German Mary Rhiel. In Berlin, Hesse will work on a project about German theatre and exile poetry. “I am beyond overjoyed to finally be able to embark on the journey my studies in German language, literature and culture have prepared me for,” says Hesse. Her faculty nominator, assistant professor of English Jaed Coffin, has only the highest praise for Hesse’s abilities and work ethic. “Time and again, Jess has stood out as one of those rare cases of undergraduates who is wise beyond her years, uniquely brilliant and insightful…,” says Coffin.

Andrew Jablonksi will also attend the Berlin, Germany, summer program. Though a French major, Jablonski has a love for all language learning and is excited to further his study of German. He’s considering adding both an international affairs dual major and a German major. “Andrew is a ‘dream student,’ says faculty nominator Claire Malarte-Feldman, professor of French. “Always prepared for class, bright and happy to learn…” Jablonski says that the program will allow him to explore diversity in a new cultural context. This will be his first time leaving North America.

RoseAlaina Leone will travel to Belize in January term 2017 to take part in the archaeological survey and mapping course led by associate professor of anthropology Eleanor Harrison-Buck. Leone traces her love of anthropology to her earliest years. “I spent hours ‘excavating’ the backyard with spoons and hunting through the woods of New Hampshire, imagining I was off on an archaeological adventure,” says Leone. She’s about to make that imagined adventure a reality. Her nominator, lecturer Marieka Brouwer Burg, a research instructor for the Belize program, is looking forward to Leone joining the field school, noting her enthusiasm, gregariousness and high academic motivation.

Carlos Martens will be heading to London, England, in January term 2017 to learn the art of travel writing with liberal arts faculty fellow and associate professor of English Sue Hertz. Martens is an avid traveler who “came face to face with a giant cave dwelling Iguana” in Mexico and accidentally competed in a table-soccer tournament in Germany. A non-traditional student, Martens is now in Durham putting himself through school, but his passion remains. He could not believe his luck when he learned about the London program. “Here was the class I had been looking for … for I am a traveler and writer at heart,” says Martens. English lecturer Meg Heckman nominated Carlos for the scholarship. “The rise of digital publishing has made travel writing an exciting and potentially lucrative field for journalists,” Heckman says. “This trip would position Carlos to take advantage of this trend.”

The late B. Thomas Trout was a professor of political science and an associate dean in the College of Liberal Arts. Throughout his career, Trout actively and tirelessly promoted international studies as a vital part of the college curriculum. He was equally dedicated to the development of study abroad programs for undergraduates, convinced that expanding the range of international study opportunities for American college students was integral to their understanding of a complicated world.

In Trout’s honor, the College of Liberal Arts established the B. Thomas Trout Scholars Fund, which supports academically outstanding College of Liberal Arts undergraduates, allowing them to participate in a UNH-managed study abroad program in the college.