Imperial Valley professor wins global engagement award

Local professor awarded for connecting students together - News 11's Wiley Jawhary reports

CALEXICO, Calif. (KYMA, KECY) - An Imperial Valley professor has won an award for her success in bridging cultural barriers between students allowing them to connect with their language and culture all while seeking education.

Lluliana Alonso never thought she would be teaching. Alonso says she was a first-generation student which made it challenging for her to envision herself as a professor.

"The first time that I saw myself as a professor was when I saw a Chicana professor at a college institution at UCLA, and that is when I started to think, maybe I can," she said.

Alonso has been a teacher for three years. She teaches at San Diego State University in Calexico. She is being awarded for her above and beyond efforts to include all students in her teachings.

Alonso is a professor for those who wish to become teachers. Through her special program, she created a transborder program which was in partnership with a school in Tijuana.

"What we did is for 8 weeks, we embedded 15 normalistas which are teacher candidates in Mexico, into our SDSU course to really talk about education and borderlines on both sides, in Mexico and the U.S side," she said.

Alonso says the intention of this program is for students to connect with other students on the other side of the border who share the same ambitions.

News 11's Wiley Jawhary will have the full story on the Evening Edition at 6 p.m.