Yuba College celebrates employees at annual recognition event
(May 15, 2024) Marysville, Calif. – Yuba College (YC) recently hosted its annual
Employee Excellence Awards, recognizing exceptional employees and celebrating
the dedication of the college community.
YC President Tawny Dotson shared that the presentation of these awards
contributes to a positive community culture.
“In the fast-paced nature of our workplace, it’s especially important to pause and
recognize each other’s efforts. I want our faculty and staff to know they are valued,”
she said.
She explained that faculty and staff were nominated and selected by their
colleagues.
“In my mind, this is a particularly big honor, because their peers have said they are
the best at what they do.”
In addition to presenting the excellence awards, the college celebrated recent
retirees, newly tenured faculty and years of service milestones.
Among the Employee Excellence Award recipients were:
- Classified Professional: Amber Kuykendall, veterinary technology specialist
- Part-Time Faculty: Walter Masuda, adjunct professor of English
- Full-Time Faculty: Melissa Ha, professor of biology
- Blue and Gold Award: Ignacio “Nacho” Cano, custodian
- Yuba Spirit Award: Riley Hang, instructional associate
Reflecting on her role at YC, Hang expressed pride in being part of a community of
dedicated colleagues.
“I am incredibly proud to work with classified professionals, faculty and
administration who truly care about our students and campus community.”
Each employee expressed that students are their motivation to work hard. Masuda
worked as a dean at YC before retiring and taking on his position as an adjunct
professor.
“I am continually impressed by students who strive to make their educational and
professional dreams come true, even when many have significant challenges in
their lives. Their motivation to learn and improve their lives fills me with an awesome
sense of responsibility to do the best I can to make sure that they receive the highest
quality education possible. They deserve no less.”
The Employee Excellence Award event highlighted YC’s commitment to creating a
supportive environment where employees and students are celebrated.
Dotson summarized, “Yuba College has been focused on creating an environment
where our employees and our students love what they do, where they are doing it,
and who they are doing it with.”
For more information about YC and its initiatives visit yc.yccd.edu.
About Yuba College:
Yuba College is committed to providing equitable student learning and success. We offer
degree and certificate programs leading to career and transfer opportunities for our
diverse communities. It is our vision to provide innovative and student-centered
educational opportunities and services that are equitable and that empower students to
become transformative and productive members of our communities.