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Alex Zizzi '14 |
2/22/13
Randolph-Macon College student
Alex Zizzi ’14 is a
sociology and
Spanish major from Greenwich, Connecticut. She knows firsthand that people make all the difference at R-MC.
Major Decisions “Spanish Professor Patricia Reagan inspires me to love Latin American culture and language, and to succeed in my studies,” explains Zizzi. “After taking her literature course I noticed a distinct improvement in my reading, writing and speaking skills. Challenging? Yes, but it was well worth it. And, thanks to Sociology Professor Amy Armenia, I have decided to apply to graduate schools. I know she will help me through that process.”
At Home at R-MC Zizzi is proud to be a Presidential Scholar. The
Presidential Scholarship program recognizes students who have demonstrated the highest levels of academic achievement and leadership.
Zizzi is a member of Alpha Gamma Delta
sorority and the Remix Dance Team, and she is a sociology tutor in the
Higgins Academic Center (HAC). She is also a member of Sigma Delta Pi and Gamma Sigma Alpha honor societies, and she has twice been a recipient of the
Phi Beta Kappa award. Despite her busy schedule—“Having two majors is a challenge!”—she has been on the Dean’s List every semester of her college career.
Travel Time
During January Term (
J-term) 2012, Zizzi traveled to Costa Rica in conjunction with Spanish Central American Culture and Civilization, a service-learning course taught by Reagan. Students worked at the
Escuela Ana Frank (Ana Frank School) near San José, teaching English and computer programming to children. Zizzi lived with a local family for the duration of the two-week trip, something she found both challenging and exciting.
“It was difficult at first, but I liked living with a family because I learned so much about Costa Rica from them,” she says. “It was also a great way to immerse myself in the language, and as a result I noticed a significant improvement in my Spanish comprehension.”
During J-term 2013, Zizzi took Reagan’s Spanish Service-Learning class. The course offers intensive practice in conversational Spanish through the study of current issues relating to Latinos in the U.S. Zizzi worked at the Office of Multicultural Affairs in Richmond two mornings a week.
“I translated fliers from English to Spanish, helped Spanish speakers fill out forms, and answered the phones,” she says. “This experience opened my eyes to the difficulties that non-English speakers face when they want to do something that we take for granted, such as applying for financial aid, finding employment, or signing up for a class.”
Future Plans Zizzi hopes to participate in an
internship soon so that she can gain some hands-on experience in the workplace. Whatever the future brings, she knows that her R-MC family will always be there.
“Eventually I hope to have a career in which I can utilize my passions for Spanish and sociology,” she says. “Thankfully, my R-MC professors are always willing to work with me to make sure I’m on the right track.”
Click on Student Experience to read more stories about Randolph-Macon students.
For more information about the breadth of programs and opportunities available at Randolph-Macon or to schedule a campus visit, contact our Admissions Office at (800) 888-1762 or at admissions@rmc.edu.