Director of the English Language Institute awarded as member of the Phi Beta Delta Honor Society for International Scholars

Director of the English Language Institute awarded as member of the Phi Beta Delta Honor Society for International Scholars

The membership was recognized for the achievements and leadership at the English Language Institute of the College of Staten Island

The Director of the English Language Institute (ELI), Mr. Gonzalo Villena, was awarded with the membership of the Phi Beta Delta (PBD) Honor Society for International Scholars last November 1 during the Induction Ceremony held at the College of Staten Island (CSI).

At the Center for the Arts of the College of Staten Island/The City University of New York (CUNY), the 2017-2018 Induction Ceremony was held with several inductees among CSI students, scholars, and staff.

The College of Staten Island is part of the chapter of the PBD Honor Society for International Scholars, which is the nation’s first honor society in the USA dedicated to recognizing individuals who have demonstrated scholarly achievement and performed outstanding service and leadership in the area of international education.

“The 2017-2018 Induction Ceremony was held with several inductees among CSI students, scholars, and staff.”

CSI authorities, who gave the new inductees their corresponding medals and a warm welcome, led the Induction Ceremony. During the event, authorities mentioned the PBD’s main goals in order to represent this Society. The goals of this organization include the recognition of individual achievement in the area of international understanding, the advancement of international programming, research and scholarly exchange, among others. During the ceremony, an honorary membership was acknowledged to the main lecture speaker guest, the Consul General of Peru in New York, Ambassador María Teresa Merino Villarán de Hart.

The Director of ELI has 20 years of experience in international education with a Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) certification and English training around the world. He has also been the head of an international area in a university with campuses in South America and in Miami, and has traveled to more than 20 countries promoting and recruiting international students. “It’s a privilege to represent ELI and the College of Staten Island for students who want to learn English in New York and a big responsibility to accept this membership since it will set ELI’s mission towards students’ learning, knowledge, and growth,” Villena said.

"The goals of this organization include the recognition of individual achievement in the area of international understanding."

This is a special recognition to the English Language Institute since it means the real commitment that the ELI has in order to promote not only English learning as a language acquisition but also learning about new cultures, international experience, and personal growth. ELI offers semester and summer terms to international and local students who come to New York from all over the world to improve their English skills at the largest CUNY campus with cultural and academic activities and field trips. Currently, ELI has received almost 100 students these past terms from Albania, China, Ecuador, India, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Macedonia, Mexico, Peru, Slovakia, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam, among other countries.

“ELI offers semester and summer terms to international and local students who come to New York from all over the world.”

The PBD Honor Society was founded at California State University in 1986 with 38 members –or chapters, and has served as a means of network among students and faculty in the United States and countries such as Canada, Italy, Mexico, Switzerland, among others.