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Staff Awards

Each year, the Student Affairs Awards & Recognition Committee requests nominations from all division staff for our annual awards. That Committee then comes together to review nominations for all the phenomenal colleagues we work with; and based on the criteria for each award, makes the tough decision on who is selected for each award, and recognized at our spring retreat. All student affairs staff serve an integral role within their department and areas across campus, all are exceptional, all sharing in the mission, vision and supporting students at Macalester! Each of our Staff Awards, their criteria and 2024’s recipients are shared below.

2024 Student Affairs Staff Awards recipient group photo from the annual recognition event held on May 16, 2024. From left to right: Laura Creech, Jinna Johnson, Samantha Yang, Alex Curtiss, Sara Rodriguez, Julie Lucking, Luca Faulkner (Torri Lattimore is not pictured).

— Equity & Inclusion Award
— Well-Being Award
— Integrative Learning Award
— Collaborative Partnership Award
— Rockstar Award
— Rising Star Award
— Bomb Colleague Award

Student Affairs Equity & Inclusion Award

2024 Recipient

Torri Lattimore, Hamre Center for Health & Wellness

This award is presented to an individual, group, or program in the Division of Student Affairs  that has an outstanding commitment to equity, inclusion, and justice and strives to create an inclusive community where students and/or staff can learn and grow, and fosters an environment that contributes to a sense of belonging on our campus.

Criteria

  • Develops and creates an inclusive environment, where students/staff recognize the identities and positionalities of themselves and others and how that may impact the community
  • Creates and implements a program that contributes to advancing DEI initiatives
  • Cultivates a culture in which individuals and groups thrive, are engaged, and have a sense of belonging, community, and purpose

Student Affairs Well-Being Award

2024 Recipient

Alex Curtiss, Residential Life

This award is presented to an individual, group, or program in the Division of Student Affairs that provides support, empowerment, skills, or experiences that positively impact the overall physical and/or mental health of student and/or staff communities.

Criteria

  • Demonstrated direct and positive impacts in a key area of personal or collective well-being: physical, emotional, intellectual, social, environmental, financial, or spiritual
  • Acts as an ambassador to connect students and/or staff to existing well-being resources 
  • Serves as a role model for the culture of well-being

Student Affairs Integrative Learning Award

2024 Recipient

Samantha Yang, Residential Life

This award is presented to an individual, group, or program in the Division of Student Affairs that helps students create meaning and synthesize learning by illuminating the intersections among experiences in and out of the classroom and for life beyond Macalester.

Criteria

  • Develops or facilitates a program that connects curricular and co-curricular learning 
  • Implements new or enhances existing programs, activities, and/or services that enrich the student experience and further student learning
  • Enhances student growth through experiences that promote leadership, engagement, peer education, mentoring, r student employment as vehicles for the promotion of skill-building, personal development, social responsibility, and career discernment

Student Affairs Collaborative Partnership Award

2024 Recipient

Jinna Johnson, Career Exploration

This award is presented to an individual, group, or program in the Division of Student Affairs that has developed, maintained, or grown collaborative partnerships within or beyond Student Affairs that has expanded the impact of the Division’s mission and values.

Criteria

  • Initiates collaborative partnerships across division, campus, or with the broader community
  • Accomplishes departmental or divisional goals that improve the student or staff experience through mutual action

Student Affairs Rockstar Award

2024 Recipient

Julie Lucking, Center for Disability Resources

This award is presented to an individual in the Division of Student Affairs who consistently serves the mission of the Division through their work, has made positive contributions to the College, and/or demonstrates meaningful impact through dedication and service.

Criteria

  • Serves the mission of the Division through their work
  • Makes positive contributions to their team/division, students, or community 
  • Strives to continuously improve programs and services to adapt to evolving needs

Student Affairs Rising Star Award 

2024 Recipient(s)

Luca Faulkner, Residential Life
Sara Rodriguez, Career Exploration

This award is presented to an individual in the Division of Student Affairs that is in their first two years of employment at Macalester, who has embraced the challenges of their first two years at Macalester with grace, showcasing dedication, innovation and a relentless pursuit of personal and professional growth.

Criteria

  • Makes an outsized/outstanding contribution to their department or the Division of Student Affairs
  • Embraces the learning curve of entering the Macalester landscape
  • Strives to continually learn, challenge and innovate programs, processes and procedures at Macalest

Student Affairs Bomb Colleague Award

2024 Recipient

Laura Creech, Title IX Coordinator

This award is presented to an individual or group outside the Division who has been an outstanding partner with Student Affairs to improve the Macalester experience.

Criteria

  • Provides consistent support to the division
  • Contributes to the mission of the division
  • Provides significant assistance to staff or programs of the division