Halie Waddell Rios, an ESOL educator at Paul Duke STEM High School in Norcross, was recognized with the Marcella E. Oberle Award for Outstanding Teaching in Grades K-12 at the National Communication Association’s (NCA) 108th Annual Convention in New Orleans. NCA honors the best in scholarly communication, presenting awards for outstanding scholarship, teaching, and professional service.
Rios, an English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) educator, reflects on her enduring impact on international high school students.
“Winning this award has provided me with a national platform to share the importance of fostering positive and productive communication in ESOL classrooms. It is exciting to know that we are getting recognized for empowering our students to use their voices to solve problems, self-advocate, and make a difference in their communities.”
Ms. Rios was among more than 30 Communication scholars honored at the NCA’s convention with the theme “Honoring PLACE: People, Liberation, Advocacy, Community, and Environment” to nearly 4,000 Communication scholars, educators, and practitioners.