German Cervantes Ledesma is the graduate student of distinction from the Department of Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures who graduated with an M.A. in Spanish Literature.
Dr. Medina-Sancho said, “He has proven to be a disciplined and mature individual with high aspirations, clear objectives, and a strong desire to give back to the community.”
Cervantes was born and raised in a tiny, rural town in the state of Zacatecas, México. He came to the United States at the age of 14. He expressed the adventure of being a teenager in a diverse new place where people from different cultures, races, languages, and religions merged within the community.
Although he was an English learner when he arrived in the United States, Cervantes graduated from Fresno High School in 2014 as a valedictorian. While a college student at Fresno State, he was a tutor for Spanish in the Learning Center and taught elementary Spanish to University High students. Additionally, he was a Graduate Student Ambassador representing the Spanish M.A. Program. He also served as vice-president of the student club ¡Hablemos Español! and president of Club Austral.
Assistant Professor of Spanish Rafael Lemus said, “Thanks to his passion and work, Club Austral has come to life again.”
“Germán’s constant inclination to cooperate and provide guidance in group situations, further developed at Fresno State as a graduate student and Spanish Teaching Associate, has helped him to cultivate his leadership and mentoring skills in multiple ways,” said Dr. Medina-Sancho, professor of Spanish.
“My plan for the future is to keep teaching Spanish in Higher Education. As a long-term goal, later in the future, I will pursue a Ph.D. in Mexican and Latin American literature and teach in a four-year university, hopefully, Fresno State,” says Cervantes.
The College of Arts and Humanities at Fresno State 