2022 Awards/Grants

by Victoria Carter

2022 WAFLT Distinguished Language Educator

Established in 1980, the Distinguished Language Educator Award is WAFLT’s highest recognition. The Distinguished Language Educator Award may be conferred annually on an individual of the language teaching profession who has demonstrated long-term achievement and service to WAFLT and to the profession – locally, statewide, regionally, and nationally.

WAFLT is proud to present Janet Rowe as the 2022 WAFLT Distinguished Language Educator honoree.

Janet retired as a National Board

Certified Spanish teacher at Hortonville High School and District Coordinator of World Language at the end of the 2021-2022 school year. Janet not only taught Spanish at the high school level, but also at the university level as an Instructor of Spanish at Marian College, Fox Valley Technical College, Antelope Valley College, and Globe University, a Visiting Instructor and Graduate Instructor of Spanish at Purdue University, as well as an Adjunct Instructor through the Cooperative Academic Partnership Program through the University of WisconsinOshkosh. Additionally, she proposed and implemented a FLES program for the Hortonville Area School District, believing strongly that all students can and should learn another language and understand other cultures Because of her hard work and determination, all students in that district learn another language and develop cultural competence in elementary school.

Within her district Janet has provided a lasting impact and invaluable experiences for her students, both in and outside of the classroom. As a former student states, “Profe’s class was filled with discussions in the target language about major world issues, life in high school, our stories, and just about everything. Profe understood that the primary goal of a language is to communicate, and so she empowered us to use the language as a communication tool; she empowers students and she addresses real world issues in the classroom which helps students feel valued and supported.” Janet has also provided immersive cultural and language experience for students through student homestay travel to Costa Rica, Honduras, Guatemala, Mexico, Nicaragua, Ecuador, Spain, Peru, and Puerto Rico.

In addition to the impact that Janet has made at her own school district, she has shown her dedication and commitment to world language education in the state of Wisconsin and beyond through her membership in WAFLT, CSCTFL, and AATSP where she has not only presented on a variety of topics, but also held leadership roles on the Executive Board of WAFLT, serving as Co-Chair of Exhibits and Local Arrangements as well as Fall Conference Program Committee, on the CSCTFL Advisory Council, and as a Mentor for National Board Certification candidates. She has been recognized with numerous awards, including WAFLT Recognition of Merit, WAFLT Donna Clementi Award for Excellence in World Language Programs, and Kohl Award for Excellence and Innovation in Teaching.

As her nominator states, “Janet’s contributions to the Wisconsin language teaching community throughout her career have been diverse and robust. Her commitment to continuous improvement in both her own practice and that of her colleagues is apparent in virtually every aspect of her work. She creates an environment in which students feel both comfortable and deeply connected to the Spanish language and culture both in her classroom and beyond.” Janet embodies every aspect of a Distinguished Language Educator and WAFLT is proud to recognize her for this award.

2022 Anthony J. Gradisnik Award

Each year since 1998, WAFLT has had the honor of presenting the Anthony J. Gradisnik Award, which commemorates Mr. Gradisnik’s exceptional enthusiasm and advocacy for language education. Mr. Gradisnik, who began his career as a Spanish teacher after World War II, was a foreign language curriculum specialist for Milwaukee Public Schools from 1959 to 1979. This award is presented to an individual or group—especially from outside the world language teaching profession—in such areas as international education, early language learning, and creative initiatives in language education. substantial support from the University of Wisconsin–Madison International Division and the College of Letters & Science, and in collaboration with the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction and the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation. This partnership helped connect the private and public sectors around the importance of language learning and led to pivotal and important reports, recommendations, and action items to strengthen world language education throughout the state.

Summer Institute 2022. Their sponsorship directly affected teachers through high quality professional development.

Global Learning Summit: Through hosting this summit, the DPI has created a forum for students and teachers to discuss global issues and come together to learn about culture and global citizenship.

Accepting the Gradisnik Award on behalf of DPI, Dr. John Johnson, Deputy State Superintendent, and Pamela Delfosse, World Language and Global Education Programs, presented by Victoria Carter, WAFLT Awards Chair.

WAFLT is proud to announce this year’s recipient of the Anthony J. Gradisnik Award, the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI), currently led by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Dr. Jill Underly. Under Dr. Underly’s leadership and in consort with Ms. Pamela Delfosse as the World Languages and Global Education Consultant, the DPI has shown great and steady commitment over the years to the expansion and development of world language education throughout Wisconsin.

DPI’s numerous and wide-ranging initiatives committed to the teaching and learning of world languages include:

Wisconsin Language Roadmap: This Initiative was sponsored by The Language Flagship of the National Security Education Program in the U.S. Department of Defense, with

Revised Standards for World Language Learning & Aligned Professional Learning: The DPI supported a pivotal refresh of our world language standards, allowing our standards to reflect a proficiencybased, student-centered learning environment for the students of Wisconsin. The meticulous process by which these standards were developed and approved, with the voices of many educators with “boots on the ground,” exemplified DPI’s commitment to ensuring that Wisconsin’s world language educators would be guided by standards that are at once challenging and accessible. Breaking with the traditional “by grade 4, by grade 8, by grade 10” model, the DPI helped support the variety of language programs around our state, allowing all programs to see themselves in the standards.

CESA and school district professional learning and standards implementation support.

FLESFEST and Summer Institute co-sponsorships for access nationally/internationally.

Recognized speakers: Through generous sponsorship, the DPI supported bringing in Jennifer D. Klein for FLESFEST 2022 and Dr. Ariel Tichnor-Wagner for the WAFLT

Continued support through WISEhome app for program participation and performance data and improved language education program data collection and reporting.

WAFLT is proud to honor the Department of Public Instruction in recognition of its continued support of and commitment to language teaching and learning throughout Wisconsin.

2022 Frank M.Grittner Award

The Frank M. Grittner New Teacher Award is presented to a new member of our profession who has shown excellence in teaching and has provided leadership in service to school, community, and professional organizations. The award honors Frank Grittner, a tireless promoter of high standards for language teacher preparation in our schools as the Wisconsin State Foreign Language supervisor from 1961 to 1991.

This year, WAFLT is proud to award the Frank M. Grittner New Teacher Award to Shaniya Lenters.

Shaniya has taught Spanish for three years; two years at Parker High School in Janesville and one year at Oregon High School. As her nominator states, “Shaniya displays incredible professionalism, a deep care for her students, a passion for teaching, and a commitment to professional development at a very early stage in her career.” In her first three years as a world language educator, Shaniya worked diligently at Parker High School to implement a proficiency- based curriculum with her colleagues and has shown a deftness and collegiality that was appreciated and was an asset to her community. Additionally, when she shifted districts and moved to Oregon High School, she excelled at the challenge of starting a Heritage Language program for the first time in the district. She seeks out professional learning opportunities, networks with others to learn from their best practices, and is a truly reflective practitioner who works with students to make a strong program. excellence in her teaching and has promoted the value and virtue of pursuing the study of world languages.”

Donna Clementi Blue Ribbon School Award for Excellence in World Language Programs

Not only has Shaniya shown her assion within her classroom and district, she also demonstrated a deep commitment to professional development through her service on the WAFLT Board as Program Committee Co-chair for the 2021 Fall Conference.

As her principal states, “Shaniya possesses a ‘can-do’ attitude that is contagious. Her love of language learning, her strong work ethic, and her ability to form authentic relationships with students are at the heart of her successful teaching practices. She has personified

While most WAFLT awards honor individuals who are outstanding in our field, we also understand that collaboration is a hallmark of an exceptional world language program. Teamwork allows groups to ensure that courses, curricula, and programs serve their students at an optimal level. The Donna Clementi Blue Ribbon Award for Excellence in World Language Programs was created to honor schools and/or programs that are exemplary role models. This award is conferred in honor of Dr. Donna Clementi, who continues to make significant contributions to the teaching of and research about world language learning. This award recognizes her contributions of talent, knowledge, and message so that students, teachers, and quality world language programs continue to be cultivated and expanded. Unfortunately, there were no nominations for this award this year.

2022 WAFLT Teacher of the Year Nominee

Each year, WAFLT nominates one of its members for the ACTFL Foreign Language K-12 National Teacher of the Year (TOY). This year’s nominee is Ellen Russell

Ellen is a French instructor at Lake Mills High School. She is extremely dedicated to her students, the promotion of French, and the advocacy of world language education in the state of Wisconsin. As stated by her nominator, “Ellen is most thoughtful and considerate of other perspectives and opinions. She embodies a collaborative approach to leadership and values the dialogue, inclusion of multiple stakeholders, and working in a teamwork environment. She looks for positives in any challenges with which she has faced, including program cuts, and moves forward toward solutions.”

She has shown her dedication to the world language profession through her involvement and leadership in WAFLT and AATF-WI. Additionally, Ellen served as a representative of French teachers in Wisconsin when meeting with the French Consulate, and continues to work with Gilles Bosquet at UW-Madison to continue to strengthen language programs through the creation of French immersion programs in the Madison area.

She is great at sharing curricular resources, participating in the creation and brainstorming of materials, and answering others’ questions. Ellen is respected by her students and colleagues as a teacher with high expectations and consistent professionalism. Her positive attitude and personality, along with her knowledge and expertise of language learning, makes Ellen the perfect ambassador for world language advocacy and promotion. She has certainly made an impact on her students, her colleagues, and the teaching of world languages in Wisconsin.

2022 Recognition of Merit Awards

The Recognition of Merit is presented annually to individuals who have demonstrated excellence in teaching or who have made significant contributions to the language teaching profession.

ways to ensure the program’s survival through the pandemic. Additionally, Katelynn served the WAFLT board as the Fall Conference Co-Chair for 2019 and 2020, and she was an integral part of making the 2021 Fall Conference a success as a virtual experience that ensured learning continued even from a distance. She represented WAFLT at CSCTFL as our Conference Extension Workshop delegate.

Dr. Sooyeon Lee, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Katelynn, who teaches Spanish at Marquette Area Senior High School, is a teacher who has worked hard both in her classroom and for our state organization to help take world language teaching above and beyond, and her admirable work embodies this award in all ways. As stated by her nominator, “in her classroom, Katelynn works to bring the world to her students and her students to the world.”

Teaching in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, she understands how important it is not to forget international connections for her students to immerse them in culture and hone their intercultural communication skills. She built a Costa Rica exchange program in her school and has even sought creative

Sooyeon, who teaches Korean at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, is a dedicated and talented instructor with a true vocation for language teaching. In her classes she creates a focused and supportive atmosphere that her students thrive in, offering necessary scaffolding for their learning, with the overriding aim of developing their autonomy as learners. As a result, her students remain engaged and active throughout class. The consistently high-quality instruction she provides her students has been instrumental in supporting enrollments in Korean at UWM. She has a knack for encouraging students to continue their language studies by helping them identify and build on their strengths. She is adept at matching the optimal technology to meet specific pedagogical goals. Her approach to instruction is built on solid research and self-reflective practices.

In her recent WAFLT presentation on incorporating popular Korean memes into the curriculum, the materials and strategies she shared were not only creative and effective, but also thoroughly anchored in best practices she researched. She also shared valuable input from her students, which she conscientiously solicits on a regular basis to improve all aspects of her teaching. According to her nominator, “Korea Day, now extended to a weekend, is hands down the most impressive campus, community, and business collaboration at UWM. These experiences that enrich our lives on campus and in the community would not be possible without Dr. Lee’s high level of commitment and her attention to detail. In all her endeavors, Dr. Lee consistently supports her students, extends solidarity to her colleagues and her community, and advocates tirelessly for languages.”

Dr. Takako Nakakubo, University of Wisconsin-Madison

After receiving her doctorate degree in Second Language Acquisition from the University of Iowa, Takako joined the Japanese Program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2011. She has been teaching all levels of Japanese language courses and supervising and training graduate teaching assistants. Takako has been actively involved in outreach activities, particularly those to promote language education for high school students such as World Languages Day and the Experience Languages! Program organized by the Language Institute at UW-Madison. Takako became a member of both WAFLT and WiATJ in 2013 and participated in the WAFLT Fall

Conference either as a presenter or attendee since that time.

When everything suddenly shifted online in early 2020, Takako made sure to share information on webinars and online instruction for language teachers presented by WAFLT, AATJ, and other organizations so members could gain knowledge and skills that were necessary for their remote instruction. She also organized a Zoom coffee time for Japanese teachers and expanded to include all WiATJ members so they could share what was happening at their schools in a casual setting. During her WiATJ presidency she created the WiATJ Share Fair during the 2019 WAFLT Fall Conference and was a main organizer of the Wisconsin Japan Bowl in 2018-2020. Takako has been an invaluable asset to WAFLT, WiATJ, and other organizations connected to Japanese language education.

2022 Certificate of Professional Service Awards

The WAFLT Professional Service Award is presented annually to recent retirees who have served both the profession and their students in providing quality world language education.

Deb Bowe-Wielgus, Waukesha West High School

Deb, who recently retired from the School District of Waukesha, worked in the district for 35 years teaching 15 years at the middle school and 15 years at the high school. Within that time, she taught all levels of French starting with Exploratory French in 7th grade through AP French in 12th grade. During her time in the district, she taught at all three of the middle schools and all three of the high schools, finishing her career at Waukesha West High School. Deb made an incredible impact in the field of world language education. She has been a dedicated member of WAFLT, even serving on the Executive Board. As stated by her nominator, “Deb has wowed others with her knowledge during her presentations at WAFLT Fall Conferences, sharing with other world language educators incredible resources and materials to use in their world language classrooms.” Throughout all of her years in education, Deb has done invaluable work for all languages in the School District of Waukesha and throughout the state of Wisconsin.

Bobbette Leu-Timmermann, Cedarburg High School

Bobbette, who recently retired from Cedarburg High School, has shown herself to be an effective classroom teacher and a leader at the state and national levels. She has been active in WI-AATG and WAFLT both as a participant and as a leader. She participated in annual immersion weekends where she impressed others with her linguistic sophistication which she developed by living and working in Germany for multiple years She had a remarkably strong program at Wisconsin Rapids Assumption, and for the past six years has taught at Cedarburg, where she rebuilt the program. Bobbette has been an advisor for German Club, German Honor Society, and served as World Language Department Chair. Most notably, she started a GAPP exchange and reworked the curriculum to better prepare students for the German AP exam. Her students are active in the WI-AATG Pronunciation contest and last year, two of her students were chosen as trip winners based on their AATG national exam results, which is unheard of. Additionally, she served as President of WI-AATG where she made incredible updates and encouraged members to come to the WAFLT Fall Conference and nominate students for the Honor in Language Study recognition. Her leadership was recognized by WI-AATG when they gave her the Distinguished German Language Educator Award. On a national level, she has been a regular contributor to the AATG Listserv Fans, Wirunterrichten AP-Deutsch, and the GAPP listserv, sharing her knowledge and building community. She was chosen to represent the Midwestern Region as a member of the AATG Executive Committee.

Susan, who recently retired from Muskego High School, began teaching Spanish there in 1999. In addition to teaching many of the upper-level classes, Susan also served as Student Council advisor, helped bring the Global Education Achievement Certificate to the district, and ran the Spanish club. Additionally, Susan served on curriculum teams to help bring aligned Integrated Performance Assessments to all languages and create themed upper-level courses such as Spanish Cinema and a conversation class. She has left a major mark on the department and was on the team in 2018 when the MHS Spanish Department received the WAFLT Donna Clementi Blue Ribbon Award for Excellence in World Language Programs. In addition to this, Susan has also shown commitment and service to WAFLT. Over the years she

Honors in Language Study Awards (Top Student)

presented at the Fall Conference on subjects such as standards-based grading in the world language classroom. Additionally, she served as WAFLT Fall Conference Program Co-chair for 2017 and 2018, helping bring our largest professional development event alive for all our members. Finally, Susan has built an important reputation as the “voice” of the WAFLT raffle during our wine and cheese reception. Her dedication to WAFLT is commendable and appreciated. Throughout her career, Susan has shown great dedication to our discipline and in turn has made a difference. She is an extremely worthy recipient of this award.

The Honors in Language Study Award is conferred on students who have demonstrated outstanding achievement in and commitment to their school’s language programs. High school and university students must be enrolled in the highest level of study of their program.

Student Language School Nominator

Lea A. Spanish Nathan Hale High School

Lily G. German Oregon High School

Bridget Geboy-Helfenstein

Jeffrey Dyer

Nicholas K. Japanese Madison Country Day SchoolPatty Breun

Emma M. Spanish Green Lake High School

McKenzie P. German Oregon Middle School

Josh LeGreve

Jolene Wochenske

Emily S. German, ChineseBrookfield East High SchoolKelsie Pattillo

Excellence in Language Study Awards (All Levels)

The Excellence in Language Study Award is conferred on students who have demonstrated great achievement and progress in language study and who exhibit great potential for further achievement in the language. Students of any level may be nominated into order to give recognition to their success and potential.

Name Language School Nominator

Silas A. Spanish Amherst High School

Vincent H German Oregon Middle School

Beyounce H. Spanish Southern Door High School

Kallie H. German Oregon High School

Natalie Glaze

Jolene Wochenske

Deanah Downey

Jeffrey Dyer

Natania G. Spanish Pacelli Catholic High SchoolCatalina Cabello

Adam L. Spanish Berlin High School

Neil P. Spanish Nathan Hale High School

Maddy R. Spanish Berlin High School

Jairo Granados Barquero

Bridget Gaboy-Helfenstein

Jody Reif Ziemann