Sep 08, 2017 4:06 pm
In honor of her commitment and dedication to both students and the community, Pierce College Community Engagement Coordinator Becky Anderson recently received a statewide award for service. The Exemplary Staff Award is given to one outstanding classified staff member in each of Washington’s five regions during the Staff Training for Technical and Community Colleges (STTACC) annual conference.
The conference features workshops on a variety of topics and best practices for use in the professional lives of staff members from community and technical colleges around the state. Award winners are nominated by their peers for going above and beyond their job duties, fostering positive work relationships, and for their professional development efforts at the college.
Anderson started at Pierce College as an Americorps VISTA worker in charge of developing service learning opportunities for students, before moving into the role of community engagement coordinator. Since then, she has helped faculty incorporate service learning elements into the classroom, giving students hands-on experience in giving back to the community. Anderson also developed the college’s first alternative break program, which allowed a special group of students to travel to Nicaragua to perform volunteer work alongside members of the local community.
During the college’s 50th anniversary celebrations during the 2016-17 academic year, Anderson also helped organize and implement 50 service projects for 50 years. “I am so thankful that our students are getting out in the community in a way that allows the college to be recognized as an institution that makes a real difference,” she said. “This award should go to our students, because they are the ones who are making a difference.”