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�鶹ԭ�� is once again celebrating its Excellence in Teaching Award and Staff of the Year Award recipients.

Each year, �鶹ԭ�� students nominate a full-time instructor for the Excellence in Teaching Award. This year’s winner is Adult Basic Skills and High School Equivalency Instructor Amekia Walker.

Walker received her award during the College’s May 11 commencement ceremony. The award was presented to her by the previous year’s winner, Communication Center & QEP Director Connie Gardner.

“Her dedication to her students and the College’s mission has not gone unnoticed. One student said, ‘When we felt as if we could not achieve something, she was the first to remind us of our potential. She makes the learning environment feel safe and motivates us.’ Another remarked, ‘She believes in us even when we don’t believe in ourselves. She’s so inspirational and very motivating,’” Gardner said in her introduction of Walker.

“I deeply appreciate this award,” Walker said.  “As a young woman from a small town, I have never received recognition for my hard work. I have always believed that hard work pays off in the end. My goal is to inspire my students to strive for excellence and show them that hard work yields results. I always tell them, ‘If I can do it, so can you.’ Even though my students are incarcerated, they still have the opportunity to make positive choices and change their lives, but the decision is entirely up to them. I emphasize that my role is to provide resources, motivation, and guidance, but the ultimate decision lies with them.”

Each year, staff members at the College nominate an individual to receive the Staff of the Year Award. This year’s recipient is Assistant Registrar Diana Gagne. The previous year’s winner, Dean of the School of College and Career Readiness Kelly Stegall, presented the award to Gagne during commencement.

Stegall emphasized Gagne’s accomplishments, including creating a reference guide to expedite the awarding of credits from other educational institutions; overseeing a reverse transfer initiative that identifies students who, through coursework at transfer institutions, earn credentials from �鶹ԭ��; implementing a system to allow students to obtain transcripts digitally; and organizing the College’s annual commencement ceremony.

“These accomplishments speak to her student-focused nature and highlight her drive to positively impact the student experience both here and at future institutions,” Stegall said.

In reflecting on her award, Gagne said: 

“Winning the Staff of the Year Award is a celebration of all the challenges, changes, and successes of this past year — both personally and professionally. This award is not a recognition of just my work, it is in recognition of God and the talented team that I have the privilege to work with every day; ‘a cord of three strands is not easily broken.”