Aned Yarelis Muñiz Gracia


Written Dec, 1999  by TeNhon

School: Fulbright grantee, 1998-1999: Universität Klagenfurt.
Master of Arts, 1996-1998: University of Hawaii.
Bachelor of Arts, 1991-1995: Universidad de Puerto Rico.

Aned Y. Muñiz Gracia is a typical Puertorriqueña. As a Fulbright grantee she is presently conducting academic research on Music as a device to facilitate language instruction. She was born in January 1974 and raised in Corozal, a rural town in Puerto Rico. As a girl she enjoyed nature and playing with animals. (This is probably why Aned is now a vegetarian).

At the age of 10, she started swimming with the Corozal Gold Fish Swim Team. Swimming has been an important activity in her life, as it has been the basis for other sports such as tandem surfing and water polo.

During her last year of high-school, Aned took part in an international cultural exchange program. Her educational accomplishments reflect the international experiences she had to reach her career goals. She attended Universidad de Puerto Rico, Recinto de Río Piedras and received a Bachelor of Arts in Modern Languages. In 1996, she enrolled at the University of Hawaii at Manoa and received the Master of Arts in European Languages and Literature in 1998. Currently, she is a Fulbright grantee at the Universität Klagenfurt, Austria.

Aned wishes to obtain a doctorate degree and become a college professor of Languages and Communication. Having studied in different parts of the world enabled her to learn various languages such as Russian, German, French, Spanish, Italian, English. She has also studied Welsh, Serbo-Croatian, Macedonian and Hawaiian.

Aned's roster of scholastic awards include a Graduate Assistantship from the Department of European Languages and Literature, University of Hawaii; Homecoming Scholar First Runner-Up, 1996; Scholarship from Cymdeithas Madog, the Welsh-American Society, to attend their 1996 Welsh seminar and summer language course in Vermont; Scholarship from the German Government's Academic Exchange to take part in the 1994 summer course for German language specialists at the Humboldt Universität zu Berlin; Second Prize, University of Hawaii French poetry contest, 1994; First Prize in poetry, Association Portoricaine des Professeurs de Français, 1995; Hawaii Newspaper Agency Award for Excellence in Commentary/Analysis in 1998.

She was consistently on the Dean's List throughout her undergraduate studies. In 1991 she won the first prize for Photography at the Universidad de Puerto Rico. Fitness training has been her main hobby when not busy with academics. She was named "Surfer of the Month" by El Nuevo Dia newspaper, September 1996 and was the highest overall scorer, International Master's Swimming Open, 1995. Her being a fitness buff also earned her the following awards: Sports Achievement Award, City of Corozal, 1995. Most Valuable Swimmer, Swimming Association of Puerto Rico, 1992. First intermediate level place, Gymnastics, Universidad de Puerto Rico,1994. Additional sports participation includes cheerleading at the Universidad de Puerto Rico, water polo and tandem surfing.

She exhibited strong leadership skills at the university serving various posts. Her love of the arts and busy academic schedule did not deter her from doing volunteer work. She served as interpreter at the Junior World Sports Acrobatics Competitions in Hawaii 1997, Columnist for "la iupi" newspaper, lifeguard and swim instructor in Austria, Proyecto Coquí (a research team seeking to protect the endangered species of Eleuterodactylus), international students' counselor, and veterinary assistant for the Hawaiian Humane Society.

Aned, the scholar, the artist, the volunteer, the athlete.
 

   
     playing: " In A Different Light "  by Doug Stone

   
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