Biography

Rosalinda Collins

Rosalinda Rivera Collins graduated from USF with a Masters Degree in Foreign Language Education. She is a native Spanish speaker who has lived in Uruguay, Venezuela, and throughout the United States. She began her teaching career at Lakeland Highlands Junior High School in Spanish, French, and English. Seven years later, she moved to Kathleen Senior High School where she continued her forein language instruction for ten years. She received the 1989 - 1990 Teacher of the Year award at KHS and also the Polk County Runner-up Teacher of the Year for the same year. She believes her success stems from her interest in working with students to achieve an understanding of cultural diversity in a fast-paced, global society through the real world experience of communicating with others in their own languages. Professor Collins joined the PCC faculty in 1994 and continues to develop the interests of students to break barriers by developing communication skills and cultural awareness in Spanish and French. Since at PCC, she has received from the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development, the NISOD Excellence Award for 1996 - 1997. Professor Collins emphasizes in her classes that language learning is a life long process; it takes consistency, motivation, and patience, all of which she provides as a role model in her foreign language classes. She has also taught College Preparatory English and College Success Strategies courses.