UH Hilo English major Katina Gronowski accepted to Oxford
Starting this fall at Oxford, Katina Gronowski will be earning a master of science in applied linguistics and second language acquisition.
By Emily Thornton.
Katina Gronowski, an English major at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo, has been accepted for graduate studies at the prestigious University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. Starting this fall, she will be earning a master of science in applied linguistics and second language acquisition.
“Katina is an exceptionally dedicated and gifted student, whose long-term interests in linguistics and English studies motivated her to apply for this highly prestigious MSc program,” says UH Hilo Professor of English Kirsten Møllegaard.
The process of being admitted to Oxford is highly competitive. Last school year, out of about 37,000 applications for graduate studies, only 6,000 were accepted.
Well prepared
Gronowski, who will graduate this spring, grew up in Kalapana on Hawaiʻi Island.
“I have a passion for learning, education, and giving back to my community,” she says. “Growing up in Hawaiʻi has taught me the values of culture and giving back to the community and land that gives us life.”
Gronowski has spent her time here at UH Hilo working to obtain a bachelor of arts in English with a minor in linguistics, and a certificate in teaching English to speakers of other languages (TESOL).
The TESOL program in particular has helped prepare Gronowski well for her Oxford studies. TESOL courses here focus on second-language acquisition theory; some of Gronowski’s classes were taken with Associate Professor of English Francis Dumanig, who is the TESOL program coordinator.
“Katina had exceptional academic performance in all my classes,” says Dumanig. “Apart from her academic achievements, she has been very active in various extracurricular activities.”
Gronowski has accomplished a lot while attending UH Hilo.
She has high academic standing, received the 2024 Matthew Somchai Therrien Memorial Award earlier this year, is president of the English Club, and is a coordinator of English department events that contribute to the success of the program.
“My time at UH Hilo was absolutely incredible,” says Gronowski. “I have been immensely supported by the UH community over the course of my studies. As an English major, the English department has given me the most valuable skills that have supported my educational journey.”
“I have had the honor of being the English Club president over the past three years, which has allowed us to create meaningful contributions to the UH community,” she adds.
She also works as a paraprofessional educator and a substitute teacher.
“I have loved working with students to help them achieve their academic as well as personal goals,” she says. “I also strive to teach my students the importance and value of culture and community.”
Oxford and the perfect program
Oxford’s MSc program in applied linguistics and second language acquisition focuses on the theory of language and the practice of language learning and usage.
“I believe that this program will further advance my academic journey through second language acquisition and the overall study of linguistics and language teaching,” says Gronowski.
“I wanted to go to Oxford for graduate school because not only is it a dream school for me but I also value the wide variety of specialized programs that they offer,” she explains.
“Since I have worked in education as well as being a part of the TESOL certificate program during my studies at UH Hilo, I knew that I wanted to find a program that could advance that foundation,” she says. “In my search for graduate school, I knew that I wanted to pursue linguistics and I found that Oxford had the perfect program for me.”
Mollegaard points out that Oxford describes successful applicants to their master of science program as having “exceptional academic achievement in their previous learning and an ambition to excel academically.”
“With her training in UH Hilo’s TESOL certificate program, Katina met Oxford’s admission standards and is now ready to specialize in applied linguistics at the graduate level,” says Professor Møllegaard. “This is a wonderful accomplishment.”
Gronowski is unsure of her future plans but is looking at becoming an English language teacher or continuing research in linguistics.
Story by Emily Thornton, an English major at UH Hilo. Susan Enright, editor of UH Hilo Stories, contributed.
