ACCEL Commencement Spring 2012


05/10/2012

Springtime brings us green grass, blooming flowers and a new crop of ACCEL program graduates.

For some of our students, it seems like just yesterday when they took their first ACCEL course; for others, the path has been one traveled for 20 years or more. Regardless of the journey, we offer heartfelt congratulations to the following students:

Fall 2011 - Svetlana Bek, Shanna Bolster, John Clark, Rachel Douglas, Dolletha Harris, David Hughes, Sherry Iaccarino, Penny Jagers, Julie Leonard, William Lewis, Jennifer Melvin, Raele Moore, Lillian Peeples, Heather Petersen, Patricia Retzl, Patricia Said, Levi Schmidt, Cheryl Sexton, Brenda Stalkfleet, Cary Stone

Spring 2012 - Sven Bamford, Saysha Bolden, Amy Bromwell, Theresa Carton, Joy Gimm, Ryan Gunn, Susan Hall, Heather Harris, Katherine Harrison, Bradley Hebeler, Terry Hirst, Ellen Kissling, Joshua Krieg, Penny McCulloch, Melinda Menner, Kelli Miller, Michael Ryden, Sandra Scheer-Clark, Tonya Schwenn, Susan Senatra, Christina Sheley, Roger Stanfield, Carole Tolley, Sherri Ulfig, Nora Varela-Binion, Christine Vidmar, Matthew Zumwalt

Summer 2012 - Amber Atkins, Lori Bruning, Wyvonia Cullum, Jodie Daxon, Kara Dyer, Kara Ellenberg, Kevin Hamilton, Debra Livingston, Gail Luntz, Shanelle Peden, Jacqui Plumb, Jennifer Powers, Paula Purcell, James West, Ashley Winter

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Spring 2012 ACCEL Adult Student Award

At the end of the academic year, the ACCEL program asks faculty and adjunct instructors to nominate a student whom they feel has made contributions to the University and/or community; successfully balanced work, family and school; and has overcome some difficult circumstances in pursuit of their education.

This year's recipient for the Outstanding Adult Student Award was RN-BSN student, Heather Himes.

Heather began her educational journey in 2000 at Scott Community College where she completed an associate's degree in nursing in 2003. Her personal goal has been to complete a bachelor's degree in nursing, and she will proudly fulfill that goal on May 12.

While attending classes to earn her BSN degree and working full time at Genesis in the orthopedic unit, Heather has also been a clinical instructor for Associate's Degree nursing students at Scott. Under ordinary circumstances, being a student, a part-time instructor and full-time nurse would be exhausting to anyone; but in addition to all of this, Heather took on the role of caregiver to her father who was diagnosed with cancer and passed away last fall. She found strength and encouragement from her family and friends, the memories of her father, and from her faith.

Heather's faith and focus have helped her overcome many obstacles in her life, and it is with great pleasure that we recognize her as this year's recipient of the 2012 Outstanding Adult Student Award.

2012 Excellence in Teaching Award

The annual Excellence in Teaching Award is a chance for students to recognize the outstanding efforts of a classroom instructor. Students are asked to consider how the instructor relates to students, encourages students as learners, challenges students to reach their maximum performance, makes the learning relevant and meaningful, provides timely and constructive feedback on assignments, encourages expression of opposing views, and engages students through innovative classroom techniques.

We are proud to announce this year's award goes to Dave Gusaas.

The ACCEL Program has been fortunate to have Gusaas teaching for the past five years. His courses include Math Fundamentals, Intermediate Algebra, Orientation to College Math, and Math for Business and Economics, all courses that give many adult learners severe math anxiety. One of our current students explains why Dave is deserving of this award:

"In a nutshell, David makes learning fun. He's able to show adult learners how to use math in our everyday lives. I had not taken a math course-let alone college level math-in over 25 years. To say I was a little worried about passing is an understatement. But David presented these courses/concepts so that I could understand them and apply them in my work and everyday life. To me, that's what adult learning is really all about."

Gusaas received a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from Valley City State University in North Dakota, and a Master of Arts in Teaching from Tufts University in Boston. His "day job" is teaching math in the Davenport Community Schools, and he travels every summer to Rhode Island where he is Site Director for a camp/school for gifted middle school students in Bristol, RI, run by Johns Hopkins University.

It is with great pleasure that we recognize Gusaas as this year's recipient of the ACCEL Program's 2012 Excellence in Teaching Award.

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