TWIN FALLS, ID – College of Southern Idaho (CSI) Professor of Music Serena Jenkins Clark has been announced as a winner of the 2023 Pearson Excellence in Higher Education Award for Community Advancement. Clark was selected from hundreds of nominations that were submitted and is the only community college faculty member to be chosen this year. According to the Pearson team, Clark’s work as an educator stood out among her peers.

“To be chosen as a national winning recipient is overwhelming and I am profoundly grateful,” said Clark upon being chosen for the award. “Throughout my teaching career at CSI, I have purposefully created opportunities for my students to engage with, and give back, to the community through music.”

Clark was chosen by the faculty at CSI to be nominated for the award, and her nomination application included several comments from her students. One student noted that “because of Serena's personal and involved style of teaching I feel both a responsibility to bring my best work to class, but I am also fine making mistakes in front of her knowing that we will work through them together.”

“I am very proud that Professor Clark has been recognized by Pearson,” said CSI President, L. Dean Fisher. “This recognition is a true testament to her dedication to teaching and to community advancement.”

Congratulations to Professor Serena Jenkins Clark for receiving this honor.