Greensboro College Names Paola Carolina Forigua Cruz Distinguished Graduating Graduate Student
GREENSBORO, N.C. – Greensboro College has named Paola Carolina Forigua Cruz its Distinguished Graduating Graduate Student for 2019.
Forigua Cruz, a native of Venezuela currently living in New Bern, N.C., received the award along with her M.A. in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) during the college’s Commencement exercises earlier today.
Forigua Cruz was cited for her perfect 4.0 grade-point average and her recent Best Paper Award at the TESOL and Applied Linguistics Graduate Student Conference this past February.
Her master’s thesis, titled “Maximizing Learner’s Engagement and Participation in the ELT Classroom Through the Use of Kagan Cooperative Learning Structures,” focuses on ways to facilitate student-centered learning that move away from traditional lecture-style instruction to a more interactive and authentic learning context.
“That’s great work,” said Robin Daniel, executive vice president and chief operating officer, in announcing her award, “but her instructors were just as taken with Paola’s thoughtful, considered, and diligent approach to her work.”
One of her professors wrote in nominating her, “Paola became well-known for her productive and meaningful contributions to classroom discussions – often gently challenging her peers to think about topics from new and sometimes uncomfortable perspectives. …
“Paola is a remarkable student, outstanding teacher, and an inspiring contributor to the field of TESOL. She has been a pleasure to teach, and we have learned a lot from her. Given the current political climate in her home country of Venezuela, Paola faces a lot of uncertainty, but her faculty know that she will find success wherever she chooses to settle. It has been our good fortune to serve as part of her temporary home.”
The award, established in 2014, is presented annually at Commencement to a graduating graduate student who has excelled in all areas of graduate studies at Greensboro College and contributes to the life of the program, has expanded his/her own knowledge and expertise through graduate research and collaboration, and consistently represents the college’s graduate programs in a high-quality manner.
The award winner is selected by the faculty from among all nominees.
Greensboro College provides a liberal arts education grounded in the traditions of the United Methodist Church and fosters the intellectual, social, and, spiritual development of all students while supporting their individual needs.
Founded in 1838 and located in downtown Greensboro, the college enrolls about 1,000 students from 29 states and territories, the District of Columbia, and seven foreign countries in its undergraduate liberal-arts program and six master’s degree programs. In addition to rigorous academics and a well-supported Honors program, the school features a 17-sport NCAA Division III athletic program and dozens of service and recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.greensboro.edu.
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