Mexican government honors American university president with prestigious award
December 15, 2011
Diana Natalico, the president of the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), was recently awarded the highest decoration given to foreign nationals by the Mexican government, the Mexican Order of the Aztec Eagle. She was chosen as the recipient for her continued effort to assist Mexican students who travel across the border to attend UTEP.
"I'm especially pleased to receive this award from distinguished Ambassador of Mexico to the United States Arturo Sarukhan," said President Natalico. "UTEP highly values our longstanding collaborations with sister universities and research centers across Mexico, and we are very proud of our many Mexican and Mexican-American alumni and students."
The Mexican government praised Natalico for her hard work to provide higher education for Mexican and Mexican-American students. Previous award winners include former President Dwight Eisenhower and Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft.
International education, even if it not a far distance, as in the case of El Paso and Mexico, can provide students with a chance to gain a better global view. It also facilitates learning a second language and opens up opportunities for the future. Students can make calls to Mexico to share their study abroad experiences with their loved ones.