Contact: Keri Pearson, tutoring and assessment specialist, 308-865-8728
Kearney, Neb., June 21, 2013 – The University of Nebraska at Kearney Learning Commons staff selected four students to be honored for their leadership in UNK academic support programs.
The students were first nominated by students, faculty or staff and then selected by the Learning Commons staff based on those nominations.
Heather Breight, a senior education major from Talala, Okla., was named Distinguished Writing Tutor. Breight “eagerly assists in developing additional services for students and enjoys working with everyone she meets. She volunteered to help students with speech as well as writing this spring, and Heather’s nominations cite her patience and proficiency as major strengths.” Breight said one of her favorite aspects of tutoring is working with international students.
“They are such a great addition to the university, and since my minor is in teaching English as a second language, my time spent with those students has also helped to prepare me for my future career,” she said.
Marguerite Gallegos, a senior biology and physical science education major from Hershey, was chosen Outstanding Supplemental Instruction Leader. The Learning Commons staff selected Gallegos because she “exemplified how to help students become academically confident.” Gallegos regularly went “above and beyond to assist, including emailing students’ session notes, worksheets and other helpful supplemental materials.”
A nominator wrote, “Marguerite appreciates the intellectual challenges and problems of student learning in chemistry, which is impressive for someone so young. I don’t think anyone could have done it better.”
Ana Tejada, a senior Spanish translation and interpretation major from Cartagena, Colombia, was named Outstanding Language Table Leader. Tejada was chosen because of her “enthusiasm to engage students’ learning to speak new languages. Ana demonstrated fantastic leadership and teamwork with several different people in Spanish and French. She brought scholarship and excellence to her work and found creative ways to make the tables fun.”
James Weese, a senior mathematics major from Geneva, was selected Distinguished Peer Tutor. The Learning Commons staff chose Weese because of his “creativity and kindness. He consistently went above and beyond to make tutoring more accessible to students. He facilitated online tutoring for Math 230 and 330 courses the past two years, provided leadership for technology integration in the Learning Commons and found unique and hands-on ways to convey ideas to students.”
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-Amanda Arnold
