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Paola Veronica Garcia-Carvajal Receives
Golden Eagle Award for April
Volunteer and Member of Honors Program, English Honor Society,
Student Government Association, Recognized at Board of Trustees Meeting
BENTONVILLE, Ark. (April 20, 2015) – Paola Veronica Garcia-Carvajal of Rogers was
recognized as the Golden Eagle recipient for the month of April at NorthWest Arkansas
Community College.
Carvajal is a member of Phi Theta Kappa national honor society and Sigma Kappa Delta English
honor society, the newly elected treasurer for the Student Government Association, a student of the
Honors Program at NWACC, and an active volunteer in her community.
Jim Laughton, chair of language arts and humanities and her Composition I and Honors
Composition II teacher, nominated her for the honor. “She writes beautifully, her projects are well
planned, and she has a great eye for design,” Laughton said. “Her portfolios are visually stunning,
and she understands written and visual texts with acute insight. Despite being an outstanding
student, she attends writing center workshops, participates in book clubs, and comes to see speakers
and programs around our college, all for her own intellectual and personal benefit. This is a person
who is trying to enrich her life experience and learn all she can while she is here.”
In addition to being active on NWACC’s campus, Carvajal spends a majority of her time
volunteering within the community. She recalled a time when visiting her grandfather in the nursing
home: “I realized elderly people living in these centers are lonely, isolated and craving for attention.
Consequently, I took the initiative and organized a group of young musicians to perform in nursing
homes around my community. We not only performed, but we also brought the elderly residents gift
bags as we met and socialized with them.”
She also has organized various food and clothing drives benefitting those in need. “I believe there is
always a chance to help people less fortunate than ourselves in our own community,” she said. “I
have been a witness to how small acts of kindness can encourage and even make a big difference in
a person’s life.” She has spent countless hours volunteering at the Bentonville Public Library and is
an active participant in the Service Learning Syria Project on the NWACC campus, where she is
spearheading a fundraiser for the cause.
“NWACC has been able to offer me great opportunities to educate me on greater social issues
within my community and outside of it,” she said. “While actively looking out for serving
opportunities, I am developing a greater sense of sensitivity to the needs of others. It has also helped
me step out of my comfort zone to experience diverse socio-economic and marginalized groups,
which has expanded my thinking and view of the world. Moreover, I have developed a greater sense
of empathy and compassion for the needy. I believe it is one of my social duties to seek
opportunities to serve others.”
After obtaining her Associate of Science degree from NWACC, Carvajal plans to transfer to a
university to pursue a degree in the medical field. She currently holds a 3.8 grade point average, is a
student in the Early College Experience program, and has done all of this before her 15th birthday.
Students are nominated for NWACC’s Golden Eagle Award by a faculty member, club adviser,
administrator or other staff person. Each candidate must have at least a 3.0 grade point average in a
minimum of six credit hours of class and demonstrate social awareness, personal development,
involvement in varied co-curricular and community activities, and a commitment to education.
The student is presented with a certificate of recognition and a $100 check from the NWACC
Foundation at the NWACC Board of Trustees meeting.
Monthly recipients of the Golden Eagle Award also may become eligible for consideration as the
College’s Distinguished Golden Eagle Award, an honor presented annually that includes additional
scholarship money. Additional criteria are considered for the Distinguished Golden Eagle Award.
NorthWest Arkansas Community College is a smart choice for students wanting to pursue quality higher
education. As an accredited institution through The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association,
NWACC is a public two-year institution that serves and strengthens its surrounding communities in Benton and
Washington counties by helping our students maximize their potential and exceed expectations. With state-of-the-art
facilities, NWACC provides excellent academic instruction and workforce training needed to succeed, offering
personalized attention from highly respected faculty, staff, and administrators. For more information, visit
www.nwacc.edu.