Paulina Mendoza Sanches is graduating with a B.A. in Spanish and is the Dean’s Medal nominee for the Department of Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures.
Dr. Gloria Medina-Sancho praised her as having “a natural inclination to provide guidance in group situations and that she enjoys teaching.”
Although Mendoza was born in the United States, she grew up in Michoacán, Mexico, before moving back to the U.S. at 16. She found it difficult to learn English, but through the help of her family and the decision to use her native language to her advantage, she chose to major in Spanish.
In high school, Mendoza served her local community by raising funds for cancer treatment. She attended West Hills Community College in Lemoore, graduating with honors with a double major in Arts and Humanities and Social Sciences before entering Fresno State in 2021.
Although the language barrier has been her biggest obstacle, Mendoza has not let it stop her from achieving her goals. She focused on classes that helped her abilities in English and found a job teaching to prepare her for her future career.
“Paulina is a highly motivated and talented student who seeks the highest standards of responsibility and dedication in all her endeavors,” said Medina-Sancho. “Her smooth interaction with both her teacher and her classmates evidences a mature and sensitive character with strong communication skills. Paulina’s caring nature, discipline and commitment to hard work are strong indicators that she will be very effective in her chosen profession.”
Mendoza hopes to be a high school teacher and has big plans for her future.
“My goal is to get credentialed so I can teach in a high school, but not stop there. I aspire to a master’s degree in linguistics and then a doctorate because I am interested in never stopping learning so as to never stop teaching.”
The College of Arts and Humanities at Fresno State 