2022 Awards Recognition

By Jen Tenhoeve | August 16, 2022

Wes Chambers – Presidential Award

This is the highest award given by the President of the college to a person who provides substantial contributions to students, colleagues, and community members. Is recognized as a natural leader assisting in meeting college goals. Consistently delivers outstanding performances. Exemplifies creativity, compassion, dedication, and excellence. Shares positivity, wisdom, and respect without boundaries.

Wes is continually advocating for students. He has worked with the Chief Development Officer (Frank Stewart) to secure scholarship funds through the Gene Haas Foundation and Paragon Medical.
Wes worked with Mason Lefler (Associate VP for Educational Innovation) to secure the National Science Foundation (NSF) grant. Through this large NSF project grant, Wes has worked to acquire advanced machining technologies, redesign curriculum, and employ new recruiting efforts (open house for high school students and parents).

Comments from his students include:
Wes is always very helpful and bends over backward to help his students succeed.
He makes things easy to understand, is always willing to help, and has a great attitude.
He always remembers his students and wants them to excel. He remembers us, asks about our lives, he cares.
Even though he is busy, he is available. His classroom fosters learning and creativity. He doesn’t just want you to pass off requirements blindly, he tries to help you learn and internalize the information. Best teacher/mentor I have ever come across and am really grateful for all the work he does.

Alan Briggs – Purely Positive

This is someone full of hope and confidence, busy doing something useful, creates happiness for others, and doesn’t complain or consider themselves victims of circumstances.

Comments made about Alan by his fellow co-workers:

Oh my gosh, his smile lights up the hallways! Alan always seems to have upbeat, encouraging interactions with all.
He is the definition of purely positive. He is always happy, and willing to help. Give this man a cookie!
Alan is always just so happy and always makes you feel loved.
Have you met Alan? I’ve never met someone so cheerful and positive in my life.
Alan is always happy and having a great time. Even if he’s got deadlines or a rough day, he always has a smile on his face and is focused on being happy and helping those around him be happy. He never has a bad day, they are all good days and he’s always happy to be where he is and doing what he’s doing.
Alan is always super happy and positive whenever he comes to work. He always brings a smile to everyone’s faces and is always very understanding.

Lisa Virgin – Collegiate Support

This award recognizes someone who demonstrates a passion for their work, creates a warm and collaborative environment, promotes positive relations for the college, and supports coworkers.

Comments made about Lisa by her fellow co-workers:

Lisa is always going the extra mile to help however she can. She is creative and positive as well as an absolute joy to be around!
Reliable, always helpful, and willing.
Lisa is always supportive and kind to her coworkers as well as the students she works with. She always asks how her coworkers are and if they need anything. Lisa is just very supportive and determined to make BTECH a great place to work.
Lisa is a welcoming presence at the BTECH west building, she engages warmly and positively with students and staff alike. She helps all staff wherever she can, and is a positive representative in her position at the college. A great person!

Alex Baltodano – Hidden Gem

This is someone possessing a value that is not immediately apparent and therefore receives far less recognition than they deserve. This person flies under the radar and yet are skilled individuals with some of the strongest talents.

Comments made about Alex by his fellow co-workers:

Alex is the man! He is willing to help anyone. He is quiet but hilarious. He works quietly behind the scene making sure all the college’s devices work and you never know he’s doing it. We couldn’t live without Alex B.
Patient (always having to fix our errors and work with non-IT folk). Sense of Humor (listen closely – when he speaks it will make you laugh – he says it how it is). Dedicated (weekends, evenings, holidays – he has to keep things running 24/7…and it seems something is always breaking). Nice (very easy-going and helpful, even when there is a lot to do and not much time or resources to do it). Professional (always treating others with the utmost respect, even in higher stress moments or requests). Have you ever seen him even raise his voice? I sure haven’t. And his job would certainly make me raise mine! Go Mr. Patient Propeller Head!
Always involved in community-building activities, or just chatting positively with everyone wherever he may wander.
One of his favorite sayings is, “Just push any button”.

Emily Hudson – Outstanding Achievement in Teaching

Chosen by peers, this faculty member is someone who demonstrates a passion for education, creates a warm and collaborative environment, inspires students, embraces educational innovation, and supports colleagues.

Comments made about Emily by her fellow co-workers:

Emily is a 110%er. I see her reaching out to her students with extra help. She is willing to give her all to the committees she is assigned to. Emily is very friendly and caring to all she meets.
Emily is always ready to do what she can for the student. She has a passion for students to succeed in life. She is kind, welcoming, and caring. She can’t help but be inspiring as she encourages students to succeed and strives to support her colleagues.
Emily strives to help her students learn and understand the concepts being taught. She truly cares about her students and wants to see them succeed. Emily is a great advisor and her students love her.
She loves teaching. She is always trying to find more efficient ways to teach. She inspires her team and celebrates their achievements. She takes on tasks assigned by administration without complaint. Most importantly she loves the students!!
Emily does everything in her power to help her students be successful. She challenges them and supports them to work hard to reach their goals. Forward-thinking in the classroom and constantly looks for better ways to do things.

Elizabeth Fallentine – Teacher of the Year

This award is selected by students and recognizes faculty who students believe have effectively contributed the most to their success at the college. They inspire students to learn by finding creative ways to make material accessible and stay up to date with practices. Has the respect and admiration of their students, serves as a role model, and always has the student’s best interests in mind. They gain respect by treating students fairly, setting high expectations, being consistent with discipline having positive relationships with colleagues, collaborating with other teachers, and taking on positions of leadership.

Comments made about Elizabeth by her students:

Elizabeth goes above and beyond. She makes her students feel their worth and confident in themselves.
As a student, I never felt embarrassed or guilty for not understanding something because she was always open to sitting down with me until I understood the material. She is patient and caring and is so knowledgeable. She teaches with experience that can’t be learned from the book. I have never had a teacher be so kind and willing to teach me and make me feel like I wasn’t inadequate and instilled confidence in me every time I talk to her.
Elizabeth goes the extra mile every day for us. You can tell how much she cares about each one of us, and how personally invested she is in our success.
She is an angel on earth! She always goes out of her way to help and encourage us as her students. She puts so much time and effort into teaching and helping us learn. I have been personally touched by how much she cares!
She is very caring and truly cared about her students. She goes above and beyond to make sure we are doing well and helps lift us up when we are down.
Elizabeth has done absolutely everything to help her students be successful and learn the material we need to know. She always shares her support and care to us and asks how she can help us in being more successful. She shows she truly wants us to become the best nurses and is always motivated and encourages us to be our best. She’s the best!
She cares so deeply about her students. She will meet with you after class any time you are needing help or have questions. I have never had a teacher care so much about her student’s success. She deserves to be recognized!
Elizabeth goes above and beyond to help us succeed in every test, quiz, and class! She is always open to our suggestions and different ways of learning and she is so willing to adapt to our needs. She is a great teacher that always has our back and wants to see us succeed.

Hailey Ropelato – Teacher of the Year

Comments made about Hailey by her students:

She is so encouraging and supportive. She really knows a lot about what she teaches and her enthusiasm is contagious! Hailey is just so cool!
Respectful, encouraging, understanding, and supportive.
She’s a great/fair teacher, always helps, always there for us.
Hailey has given me so much advice on how to improve my work and what works best. She is so respectful and understanding too, encouraging me to achieve higher.
Hailey encourages her students to do their best work and dedicates her time into helping students succeed. She’s very kind hearted and caring.
Hailey always encourages us to do our best and supports us. She’s determined to help us succeed and I appreciate her so much!

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