Magdalena Bernal, a Holliston resident and Spanish teacher at Placentino Elementary School, has recently received multiple academic honors in recognition of her graduate work at Salem State University.
On April 26, she was inducted into Phi Sigma Iota, the International Foreign Language Honor Society, in recognition of academic excellence in the study of world languages.
On May 1, Bernal was awarded 3rd place in the Joseph T. Flibbert Graduate Student Paper Award for her research paper titled “El conflicto de ser madre: dimensiones sociales y éticas en Yerma de Federico García Lorca y Dos madres de Miguel de Unamuno.”
This annual award, presented for more than two decades, recognizes outstanding graduate student writing and research. Each faculty member may nominate only one paper per year, selecting work they consider exceptional in writing style, content, research, and creativity. This year’s recognition is particularly notable, as it marks the first time in more than 20 years that the award has been given for a paper written in Spanish.
Bernal is committed to bringing her continued academic work into her Spanish classroom and supporting language and cultural learning for students in the Holliston community.
