DOWAGIAC — Dr. David Fleming, vice president of instruction, announced Faculty of Year and Adjunct Faculty of Year winners at Southwestern Michigan College’s fifth annual Employee of the Year recognition breakfast at Mathews Conference Center West on the Dowagiac campus.

“It’s amazing to win an award for doing something you love,” said nursing instructor Rona Goodrich, Southwestern Michigan College’s Faculty of the Year.

“As a young girl, I would play school with my brother, but I would always have to be the teacher. When he tired of being the student, I improvised by using stuffed animals and dolls as my students. My mom is also a nurse. I would borrow her stethoscope and listen to family members’ heartbeats and breath sounds. I would also listen to the cat purr. Teaching and nursing have been in my heart since I was a child,” Goodrich, of Paw Paw, said.

Goodrich’s nominators describe her as funny, intelligent, understanding and a hard worker. “She looks for your best qualities and helps you reflect on areas to work on without making you feel judged.” Another student writes: “Rona is the best teacher I’ve ever had. She cares a lot about her students and their success.” Yet another student wrote, “Rona Goodrich is, by far, the most caring and competent instructor I’ve had throughout my SMC experience. Any student who has her is lucky.”

“Rona’s students truly love that she gives weekly updates to remind them of exactly what they need to do to succeed and not fall behind.” Fleming elaborated by saying that she “is patient to a T and, based upon her evaluation, it looks like she attempted about 20 different units of continuing education. She is a role model of lifelong learning for our students,” commented Dean Rebecca Jellison.

Faculty nominees also included Jane Mitchell, business and accounting; Ria Thomas, mathematics; Christy Tidd, psychology; and Dr. Barbara Karwacinski, sociology.

Honored as Adjunct Faculty of the Year was mathematics instructor Melinda Wall of Vandalia.

Wall’s nominations always describe her patience with students. “I have a hard time with math and the way she teaches and helps me after classes is helping me understand math,” one student wrote.

A colleague noted Wall has “long been an integral part of our department who willingly teaches any and all classes assigned and does so with nothing less than excellence. Once a month she hosts a Chat and Chew session where our math faculty get together and talk informally. She is truly a team player. Her great attitude, commitment and positive outlook add so much to the lives of her colleagues.”

Also contending for adjunct were Bonnie Roberts, mathematics, who won in 2015; Valerie Beekmans, nursing; Peg Myers, nursing; and Michele Harlow, physical education.

“None of these faculty are deemed easy. Students work hard for them because they want to,” Fleming said. Each instructor received monetary awards from SMC, presented by President Dr. David Mathews.

The Honors Program won “Team of the Year,” coordinated by mathematics instructors Mark Pelfrey and Gary Franchy. The program, in its second year, provides high-achieving students exclusive access to honors scholarships, transfer partnerships, priority registration and research opportunities. The award was presented by Vice President and Chief Business Officer Susan Coulston.

Also nominated were: Dr. Angie Evans and Nick Mustak of Institutional Research; Project Identity, a collaboration of Nursing, Criminal Justice and Health Information Technology faculty and students which distributed ID kits to 80 people at Steve’s Run last July; Phi Theta Kappa’s The Roadrunner Kitchen food pantry; and Admissions Director Jason Smith’s team for increasing fall enrollment.

SMC is a public, residential and commuter community college founded in 1964. The college delivers above-average graduation/transfer rates compared to other community colleges nationally and student college-level course success that is consistently in the top 25 percent of two-year colleges nationally. SMC strives to be the college of first choice, to provide the programs and services that meet the needs of students and to serve our community, according to officials. The college is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools and is a member of the American Association of Community Colleges.

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