Proud Igorot from Mt. Province receives two prestigious award from the University of Florida

Photo Courtesy: fullbright.org

Cordillera - A Fulbright from Bontoc, Mountain Province was given two prestigious awards by the University of Florida (UF), according to fulbright.org.ph.

Mark Preston S. Lopez, was awarded the International Student Certificate of Excellence of the College of Education and was also conferred the University of Florida International Center Alec Courtelis Award during the International Students' Week awarding ceremony held on November 14, 2018 at the President's Ballroom, Emerson Alumni Hall in UF. 

Lopez was also given a scholarship worth $1,500 dollar, a plague and a certificate.

Earlier in September, he was chosen as one of the recipients of the International Student Certificate of Excellence of the College of Education (COE) following the nomination from his academic advisor and professors for his outstanding academic achievement, commitment to service and leadership that are not only integral to the success of the College but more importantly to his achievement as a student and scholar. 

In April 2018, Lopez won the best paper award on the COE research symposium for his study on the implementation of the national language policy on mother tongue-based multilingual education in Mountain Province.

"I had never imagined that I would realized such achievements. When I came to UF, my goal was to obtain my doctoral degree which is an enormous challenge by and of itself, and return to the Philippines and continue serving the country." Lopez told when he asked about the recognition. 

"At some point, I realized that I wanted to do more than just focus on my academics, so I emerged out of my shell and explored the vast opportunities waiting to be embraced and conquered," he added.

According to fulbright.org, Lopez is currently working towards completing his PhD in Curriculum and Instruction, major in ESOL/Bilingual Education in December 2019. He is obtaining support form a Fulbright Graduate Scholarship through the Philippine-American Education Foundation (PAEF), a UF assistantship and a partial funding grant for the Commission on Higher Education, Philippines.

source || fulbright.org.ph