Hamilton High School senior Joseph Semrad was awarded the Outstanding High School Senior in German Award presented by the American Association of Teachers of German (AATG). Semrad’s German teacher and AATG member Robin Tessereau selected him based on criteria that he:
- maintained an A average in German classes and at least an overall B average;
- demonstrated exceptional commitment to German studies through extracurricular activities;
- completed at least three years of formal German study; and
- is a graduating senior and a non-native speaker of German.
”Joe has proven himself to be an outstanding student who has an interest and appetite for learning as much as possible about the German language, culture and history,” Tessereau said.
Semrad was the recipient of the prestigious Congress-Bundestag Scholarship and is spending his senior year in Alszey, Germany. As a result, his language skills are “nothing short of remarkable,” Tessereau said.
Semrad plans to continue his German studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and recently learned that he was selected into Madison’s International House.
AATG is a nonprofit, educational association devoted to the teaching of the German language and cultures of the various German-speaking countries. It promotes scholarship by publishing several journals and newsletters, and awards scholarships and stipends for teacher professional development. In addition, the association administers the National German Honor Society and travel-study programs, and supports 61 regional chapters.