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First Year Experience is honored to announce the recipients of the 2022-2023 Outstanding First Year Advocate Award.

The Outstanding First Year Advocate Award recognizes faculty, staff, and student leaders who have made significant contributions to the academic and/or personal lives of first year students. The award allows the community to recognize individuals who have demonstrated a specific commitment to and impact on first year student learning, development and success.

This year’s recipients are faculty members Claire McCarthy (English) and Rebecca Mirick (Social Work); staff members Emmanuel Quiroz Martinez (Educator Scholars of Color) and Carole Rizzo (Navigation Center), and student leaders Will Reagan (STEP Mentor) and Noelle Wood (Peer Tutor/Supplemental Instructor).

This is the 11th year that First Year Experience has recognized members of the campus community for their exceptional contributions to student transition and persistence.  Recipients are awarded a silver key, recognized at Convocation in the fall, and have their names engraved in a plaque outside of the First Year Experience office.

A special thank you to last year’s recipients Lisa Bibeau (Disability Services), Karen Gahagan (Creative and Performing Arts), Brad Hubeny (Geological Sciences), Christine MacTaylor (Chemistry & Physics), Gisady Mendoza (STEP), and Anhar Obyat (First Year Experience) who served as members of the selection committee this year.  Over 40 exceptional nominations were submitted, primarily from students themselves, which made the decision extremely challenging.

First Year Experience is committed to supporting first-year students and laying the foundation for student success in academic, intellectual, social, and civic endeavors.