The Vekich Scholar for 2018-19 was announced at the annual Slavic Students' Talent Show in April. Maria Kuo was selected as this year's winner of the award, which supports study of South Slavic languages by providing textbook materials and making available funding for language study in the summer following the academic year.
Maria is majoring in Psychology and South Slavic Studies at UIUC. She says, "I have grown up surrounded by people of this region and have been involved with the culture for many years. Throughout these years, I have been a performer of traditional folk dance and music in ensembles such as Balkanske Igre, as well as Dukati Biseri, for local, national, and even international events. Along with dancing, I love learning about the language, history, and culture associated with this region and hope to expand my knowledge even further in the near future!"
Congratulations to Maria and best wishes in your studies in the coming year!