2026 Building the Dream award recipients announced
Intercultural Center Director Monique Gore, Associate Director of Digital Fabrication and Maker Education Paul Whitener, Eric Cisneros (’27), and Genesis Mark (’27) are the 2026 “Building the Dream” award winners.
Now in its 23rd year, the Building the Dream award honors individuals from Wake Forest and Winston-Salem State University who foster unity and leadership in the Winston-Salem community. Award winners exemplify Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s qualities of social justice and diversity within the community, on and off campus, in the areas of leadership, commitment to justice, determination and resilience, and community engagement.
Staff Recipients
Gore has spent her career advocating for engaging students in multicultural learning and leadership development. Since arriving at Wake, she has collaborated with faculty and staff to bridge the gap between the University and the broader Winston-Salem community. As the director of the Intercultural Center, she oversees campus-wide initiatives, faculty partnerships, student engagement, and alumni outreach. “Monique has been a model leader for change and community engagement since she arrived at Wake Forest University in 2022. In the office, she has an impact felt on every student by being an advocate for them and their lived experiences. Uplifting them to be their best selves in each and every room they enter.”
Whitener brings more than 30 years of technological experience to Wake’s Digital Fabrication and Maker Education Program, where he supports students in excelling by using “maker” technologies in their coursework. He co-facilitates the Computer Science STEM Robotics course and leads “pop-up” labs geared towards extracurricular learning for the Wake Forest community. Off campus, Whitener works with many technology outreach initiatives in local middle and high schools in the Winston-Salem community. “He has been impactful to me in being able to utilize art as a form of expression. Through workshops hosted in WakerSpace or events, I have seen him working; he provides an opportunity to use art and craft as a medium for joy and character.”
Student Recipients
Cisneros is majoring in Applied Mathematics with a minor in Engineering and strives to combine his technical expertise and creative problem-solving skills to create solutions that shape a meaningful future. He is the President of the Organization of Latin American Students and was selected as a Magnolia Scholar. As an active leader at Wake Forest, he connects different cultures and communities together to make a positive impact in the future. “Eric is the type of leader who is determined to see change through doing. The value of a leader is being able to be in many different rooms and still have the same impact.”
Mark is pursuing a double major in Psychology and Spanish and aspires to be an adolescent clinical psychologist. She is a star in her community, working tirelessly on campus as a resident advisor, co-leader of Black Campus Ministries, and Campus Kitchen Shift Leader. Off campus, she completed 100+ hours of community service in the Triad last year alone. She aspires to be a great leader who values making an impact on others’ lives. “Genesis is one of my favorite students who models and embodies the essence of Dr. Martin Luther King through her aspirations to be a great leader and her commitment to serving the community.”
About the Awards
Since 2003, Wake Forest University and Winston-Salem State University have collaborated to host events honoring Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Faculty, staff, and students submit nominations for the “Building the Dream” award to their respective universities, and a committee of representatives from each school selects winners. Winners were recognized during an annual event on January 20, and co-sponsored by the two universities, which honors the slain civil rights leader.
Read about the 2025 “Building the Dream” winners.
Note: Shared quotes are excerpts from each recipients nomination application.
Categories: Awards & Recognition
Categories: Awards & Recognition