Two Allegheny College Students Take Top Honors in Jane Austen Society of Pittsburgh Essay Competition

Annie Nybo
Annie Nybo

MEADVILLE, Pa – Feb. 23, 2011 – Allegheny College students Annie Nybo and Julie Ropelewski have placed first and second, respectively, in an undergraduate essay competition sponsored by the Pittsburgh chapter of the Jane Austen Society of North America.

Nybo, a senior from Encinitas, Calif., is a double major in English and history. She recently completed a senior project for both majors titled “Manipulating the Margins: The Social and Historical Relevance of Jane Austen’s Widow Figures.” After a semester-long experience last spring at the Jane Austen Centre in Bath, England, Nybo interned during summer 2010 with Penguin Group USA, a major publishing firm. She also has participated in the College Chorus, Alpha Delta Pi sorority and Phi Alpha Theta history honor society.

Ropelewski, a junior from Erie, Pa., is majoring in English with a minor in psychology. She plans to focus her senior project on children’s literature by Roald Dahl, exploring the representations and roles of grandparents in those works. Ropelewski also is a member of Up ’til Dawn, a student organization that raises funds for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Julie Ropelewski
Julie Ropelewski

Nybo and Ropelewski collaborated last fall to help revive Allegheny’s chapter of the Sigma Tau Delta international English honor society. Both also work as writing consultants in the college’s Learning Commons, assisting students with research papers, lab reports and other assignments.

“Annie and Julie wrote their essays for the Jane Austen Society competition during winter break while classes were not in session,” said Dean of the College Linda DeMeritt. “That level of dedication speaks volumes about their passion for literature and their enthusiasm as scholars. We are proud of their achievements and grateful for their contributions to their discipline and the Allegheny community.”

The 32nd oldest college in the nation, Allegheny College will celebrate its bicentennial in 2015. One of 40 colleges featured in Loren Pope’s “Colleges That Change Lives,” Allegheny is among only 16 percent of liberal arts colleges nationally that require independent research and/or original creative work of all graduates. Ninety percent of Allegheny alumni seeking employment start a career within eight months of graduation, and the college ranks in the top 5 percent of schools nationally whose students go on to earn Ph.Ds.

The national liberal arts college where 2,100 students with unusual combinations of interests, skills and talents excel.