Kathleen Leonard, Principal Spanish Lecturer in the Department of World Languages and Literatures at the University of Nevada, Reno, won the Service-Learning Faculty Award, presented by the Associated Students of the University of Nevada (ASUN) at the 2024 Honor the Best ceremony.
Leonard's Spanish 400 Service Learning in Spanish course integrates community engagement and experiential learning, requiring students to present their projects at the Wolf Pack Discoveries undergraduate research symposium.
"I felt very honored to have won the award and to be among all of the other winners that day. I have worked hard to make the course a special offering for our students, and I appreciate the recognition and nomination by Matthew Little, Interim Coordinator of the Office of Service-Learning and Civic Engagement," Leonard said.
Professor Leonard finds motivation a two-way street, as her students also motivate her.
"Students come to class with such interest and momentum to do good in the community and use their Spanish-speaking skills in real-life situations. Among other things, I boost their motivation by inviting community members to speak in class to build professional and career connections," Leonard said.
Leonard believes that experiential learning offers benefits beyond personal rewards, such as accelerated learning, immediate knowledge application, ongoing feedback and adaptability. “The learning that takes place via real-world experiences is long-lasting,” she said.
Participation in the undergraduate research symposium, Wolf Pack Discoveries, is a requirement of the Spanish 400 Service Learning in Spanish course. "It’s gratifying for me to see students learning from other student projects across various colleges,” Leonard said. “I witness the sense of accomplishment by students as they answer questions from their peers and attendees during their presentations. It’s a great event at the university."
Leonard finds being commended at the Honor the Best Ceremony inspiring. She said the achievements of the other winners are impressive and motivating. “This award means a lot to me, and I appreciate all of the hard work that my students do, too,” she said.
