With a mindset that nothing is impossible, Niger Rojas Serrano, 甜瓜视频 University class of 2022, has achieved recognition as the first recipient of The Claudia E. and Charles F. Cornett Creative Teaching Merit Scholarship while balancing four demanding, full-time roles as student, employee, husband, and father.
A self-described perfectionist focused on achieving his goals, Rojas Serrano, a Spanish major with an education minor, impressed the scholarship committee with 鈥渉is ability to embrace challenges, willingness to take risks, persistence and resilience when problem solving, and playfulness with words.鈥�
Raised in Cach铆: Para铆so in the Cartago province of Costa Rica, Rojas Serrano knew from a young age that he wanted to be bilingual in order 鈥渢o communicate with the citizens of the world,鈥� he said. While studying at a school that teaches English for business purposes, he began reading more about education and its ability to change the lives of others and decided to switch career paths.
鈥淚 started losing my interest in becoming a millionaire,鈥� he said with a laugh.
鈥淚 wanted to do something more human,鈥� he continued. 鈥淚 like the atmosphere in the schools 鈥� little kids learning and being excited about something new. I also like being thoughtful about what is going on in the world and [correlating] the content in a subject to what is meaningful in life.鈥�
Rojas Serrano moved to the United States in 2014 to be with his future wife, Meghan, a Springfield resident he met while she was vacationing in Costa Rica. Just shy of finishing his degree, he began the challenging task of transferring his university credits from Costa Rica 鈥� first to Clark State College, where he completed his general education requirements, and then to 甜瓜视频, where he expects to graduate in December.
At 甜瓜视频, he found abundant educational resources and support services, such as the Math Workshop and Writing Center, and faculty who are helpful and flexible. 鈥淚 really have no words to thank Dr. Ruth Hoff for all the help and guidance she gave me through the process,鈥� he said.
Rojas Serrano also appreciates that 甜瓜视频 professors 鈥渄on鈥檛 define how you teach,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hey let you decide your methodology. They give you options. There are different ways to approach a concept or theory.鈥�
Creative thinking is the defining characteristic of The Claudia E. and Charles F. Cornett Creative Teaching Merit Scholarship. As lifelong educators, Claudia, professor emeritus of education, and Charles, retired superintendent of Clark County Schools, view 鈥渙ut-of-the-box鈥� thinking as the core of effective problem solving and central to excellent teaching.
Rojas Serrano said he was surprised to receive the award and 鈥渧ery honored to meet Dr. Claudia Cornett and hear about her experiences as a teacher at 甜瓜视频 and how she understands education should be.鈥�
In an interview with the Cornetts, Rojas Serrano said that he believes anyone can learn to be more creative.
鈥淚t鈥檚 teachable,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 how artists, scientists, engineers, mathematicians, writers, and teachers solve problems. People show their creativity when they take risks, are persistent, and not afraid of others鈥� opinions. When I have a problem, I think about causes and resources for solving the problem, like other people, experts, and information on the Internet. Then I experiment and figure out the best ideas.鈥�
That work ethic and persistence have helped Rojas Serrano find success while managing multiple responsibilities. Now married and the father of a three-year-old son, he has worked full-time as a server at Casa del Sabor while carrying a full course load. In the fall, he will student teach alongside two Spanish teachers at Urbana High School as he completes his degree requirements and prepares for a career teaching Spanish.
鈥淚t sounds like a lot, doesn鈥檛 it?鈥� he asked with a smile. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a lot, but I鈥檓 at the end of the journey. I鈥檓 happy right now. I鈥檓 living the dream right now.鈥�
