MCC Daily Tribune

TCC Gratitude Series, Day 1: Kudos to Faculty, Staff and the Counseling Center and Disability Services

Greetings from the Teaching and Creativity Center Coordinator. I would like to thank you for such a warm welcome. I look forward to working with you all. I hope that you are all doing well and wrapping up the fall semester. I feel honored and fortunate to share the semi-annual kudos for faculty and staff across the college everyday for the next ten days as my first MCC Daily Tribune announcement. Stay tune for the updates and enjoy the rest of your day.

From students to faculty and staff:

Adrienne Porter (Housing and Residence Life, Administrative Assistant)

Adrienne Porter is one of the most hardworking people I have met in my life. She spends every day working to the bone for the residents of MCC, even if that work doesn't get the recognition it deserves. From placements, moves, conduct, pest-control, cleaning, keys, suitemates, etc., Adrienne has a hand in all of it. Asides from an incredible work ethic, Adrienne is a genuinely kind person. She puts others above herself, and will do anything in her power to see others prosper and succeed in the Residence Halls of Monroe Community College.

Aimee Calhoun (Mathematics)

She is always extremely kind and willing to help. She answers emails in a timely manor, and is always willing to go out of her way to make sure her students understand material. Not only has she been a better math teacher than in my past, she makes math more fun because I understand the material. As someone that struggles with math, I feel like I can actually grasp material because of her help.

Amy Burtner (English and Philosophy)

I would like to recognize Professor Amy Burtner. She was my Introduction to Ethics professor this semester, and I'll say that she's done an amazing job teaching me and the rest of my class. Introduction to Ethics can be slightly heavy in terms of course load and the concepts that you need to understand and process, but she did an excellent job explaining them, and describing how they all intersected with each other as the semester drew on. I took an online course, but she still managed to set up a vibe and feeling of community through her constant messages to us each week, our Perusal annotations, and discussions that allowed us to interact with each other consistently online, replicating the feeling of an online classroom very well. Finally, Perusal was really just a solid way to condense all the information we needed to learn about the different moral philosophers and philosophical theories into one easily accessible, informative but not overbearing source of knowledge, and I really appreciated that. Overall, she was an unbelievably extraordinary professor to teach the course to me and the rest of my class, and I would recommend her to anyone who wants to learn more about philosophy at a core level, as she is REALLY great at teaching it, and honestly, teaching in general.

Andrea Giardino (Mathematics), Receiving 2 Nominations

Mrs. Giardino Is a blessing to be in her class she goes over and beyond her duty has a professor she is always there when I help in Math, she loves her job her passion for her job it shows wonderfully I wish I could take with me throughout my college journey may God reign down many blessing over her and her family she is marvelous teacher she very patient with us I want to thank you.
She is awesome and she will not stop working with her student's until they get the math.

Andrew Knapp (Psychology), Receiving 3 Nominations

There’s a reason why so many students take multiple classes from Dr. Knapp. He is excitable when teaching and that excitement spreads to everyone in the classroom. He comes up with innovative ways to demonstrate concepts and doesn’t hesitate to answer questions in depth. The Psychology Department is truly lucky to have him.
Dr. Knapp understands that students have life besides school and he makes sure that his students are not unhappy with the amount of work given in his classes. He takes the time out of his day to explain the material that students don’t understand. Dr. Knapp is very flexible with his students which makes students’ lives much easier. Especially with everything going on, it’s difficult to balance school, work, and social life. I feel that if more professors understood this, students will actually learn the stuff rather than doing the assignments for a grade.
Dr. Knapp is a remarkable professor, he loves what he does and cares for his student. Not only does he want us to pass but actually learn, he changed the multiple-choice tests we have for his cognitive course to oral exams, and as much as I despise any form of oral exams I felt like I was actually taking something from the course and truly understanding and remembering the material this way. He inspired me not only to continue my path in psychology but to have the level of passion he obtains for his job and to travel the world and live and he has. One of my favorite teachers he deserves recognition for his incredible technique of teaching but also his ability to connect to each of his student no matter how many he has; I've taken 3 of his courses in the past and if I could I'd stay at MCC longer just to take more.

Binh-Yen Nguyen (Engineering Science and Physics)

Professor Binh has been a great professor to me, I took his Intro to Robotics class in the spring 2023, and I'm currently taking his Intro to Networking class. He's always made the material clear & simple, took the time to help me understand something I struggle on.

Ben Schermerhorn (Engineering Science and Physics, Receiving 4 Nominations

Empathetic professor who genuinely cares about student struggles and strives to find solutions that work for everyone.
Dr. Ben Schermerhorn, I believe, changed the trajectory of my academic career. Bringing back the fun in learning and helping all of us laugh through the frustration of what academia can cause in engineering. Dr. Ben always lets his students know how proud he is of their efforts alone regardless of their outcome, reminding us all that we are allowed to struggle and not do everything perfectly the first time. Engineering is tedious and long hours, professors like Dr. Ben make the long nights and hard work much less stressful. Dr. Ben finds a way to let his caring personality shine into his teaching career and truly helps students become re-inspired by their personal goals more often than we’d otherwise consider. I would happily call him my role model.
Dr. Ben as he likes to be called is a great professor that cares about every students success. Dr. Ben has more than the required office hours and is especially helpful when a student has a question. Not only does he care for his students but often you find him helping student that are taking courses with other professors. He is brilliant and it shows as he really knows his stuff. He is also very nice and never has even become mad or annoyed at anyone. He is exactly what a professor should be and that is why I think he deserves this award.
Dr. Ben is hands downs the best professor that I have had here at MCC. He goes to great lengths to ensure that his teaching methodology is in line with the needs of his students. He would adopt a more conversational and relaxed instructing style during his lectures and was always open to questions. He was able to distill engineering concepts down into terms that were easy to understand, for which I am very grateful. All in all, I rarely felt stressed out when taking his classes and I always felt like I was actually learning things that gave me a better understanding of the material I was studying.

Bridget Dee (ESOL and Transitional Studies)

She is an amazing woman and professional.

Bruce Link (Computer and Information Technological Services)

The professor is extremely helpful. He is always trying to do what’s best for the students and he understands that students don’t only have his class. His teaching is very engaging.

Carl Silvio (English and Philosophy)

Mr. Silvio has a unique way of teaching English and I feel as though it’s inspired me to explore and strengthen my writing and I have gained confidence as a writer. He makes class engaging and enjoyable and doesn’t stress us out. He’s flexible and works with students to fit their schedule if they need extra help and he listens to the class as a whole about what we need to succeed. These attributes of Mr. Silvio and his way of teaching has made a tremendous positive impact on my education and many others. Thank you Mr. Silvio, please continue doing what you do! I’m really happy to have had you as my English Professor and I will miss our class.

Carly O’ Keefe (Global Education and International Services, Receiving 4 Nominations)

She is very nice, kind, and helpful.
Carly holds a special place in my heart as the first person who guided me at the beginning of my educational journey in the United States. Back when I was in Afghanistan and faced challenges pursuing higher education, I reached out to Monroe Community College for admission. It was Carly who warmly connected with me, guiding me through the entire application process with unwavering kindness. Her support extended beyond mere administrative tasks; Carly became a beacon of hope during a time when I felt my dreams were unreachable.Transitioning from a state of hopelessness in Afghanistan to the opportunities in the United States, Carly was there to welcome me. Her genuine kindness and assistance were pivotal, especially in those early days when I was adjusting to a new environment. Carly not only helped me choose my classes but also provided invaluable support in navigating the unique challenges faced by an international student with a diverse background. While I hold deep appreciation for the entire MCC staff, Carly's exceptional kindness and dedication have made her stand out in my journey. It is with immense gratitude that I proudly nominate Carly for her instrumental role in shaping my academic experience and fostering a sense of belonging in a new and unfamiliar setting.
Always helpful
Carly has been a tireless advocate for our international, immigrant, and refugee population. She has petitioned the Board to reconsider charging immigrant students out of state tuition. She also works closely with almost every international student at the college, advising them on everything from Visa paperwork to what courses they should take. Carly is truly the kind of person who makes MCC a great institution.

Catherine Smith (English and Philosophy)

Professor Smith is very engaging, Professor Smith has a way to command the room in a positive way. I was very concerned approaching Professor Smiths class, yet she has provided me with tools I can carry on award. You can tell Professor Smith is passionate about her job as the students and colleagues are always pleased to see to her in passing, Professor Smith has an aura that lights up a room, has students ready willing to learn. It’s been a pleasure to have had Professor Smith. It made coming to MCC enjoyable, I enjoyed all the readings selections. MCC did a great job when then hired Professor Smith i can’t say enough about the positive instruments she’s given us. The unselfish time in class, the open discussions where the class is all engaged, then the small group, then share this Professor never had one class that was stall or individuals wanted to leave. Come to think about it we have no clock in the room. Time breezes by. Professor Smith won in our book by being our professor, we can spread the word to tell students to sign up for her class, give can her a positive which she greatly deserves. Her former students won as they had the opportunity to sit in lecture with Professor Smith. Win/Win 50/50 Equal!

Charles Wuertzer (Biology)

Professor Wuertzer is amazing, an awesome teacher. He is very knowledgeable. He knows all the information and he does not hide it from you. He gives you everything you need to know everything you need to understand he gives you a lot of opportunities to pass exams. He gives you enough coursework, to not be overwhelmed. I have learned so much in the last 13 weeks with Professor Wuertzer it’s just beyond amazing. I love coming to this class as this course has shown me so much and about my own self and how to take care of my body. I think him for teaching me this and the information learned I have applied it to my daily life, I look to take him again in the near future for the next couple course in Bio, I know that he will be more than helpful like he has already shown.

Christopher Wendtland (Biology)

Professor Wendtland is a great professor. He gave everything to you to be successful in the course. His lectures are very organized and easy to follow. He is also very helpful in person, and he tries to meet your needs as an individual student.

Claudio DiMarco (Mathematics)

Dr. Dimarco makes learning calc 1 a fun and engaging experience. Personally, I enjoy learning calc, but it can get boring at times. Dr. Dimarco always keeps class interesting with his humor, realness, and enjoyment from doing teaching math to his students.

Corrine Shanahan (Career Services)

Corrine is the nicest person I ever met at MCC, I’m a currently her intern and has taught me a lot and opened me up to a lot of opportunities that I appreciate.

Cristin Finch (Health and Physical Education)

Professor Finch’s class is always a class I look forward to. Her childhood development class is a joy to be in. She is engaging and always looking out for her student’s well-being. I truly appreciate you!

Kudos to the Counseling Center and Disability and Health Services

Aubrey Zamiara

Aubrey does it all for our department. She overseas three different areas within our department and makes it look easy even though it definitely is not. She is always there to help when staff needs help and gives great professional guidance and advice. She brings a warm and bright energy to our office and makes our department a great place to work.

Jessica Morelli

Jessica wears many hats within out department as the associate director overseeing three different areas. She always makes the time to support staff when needed even with her very busy schedule. She is kind and understanding and always very helpful when staff go to her for help. She is also very organized and knowledgeable.

Michael Johnson

I want to thank my friend and colleague, Michael Johnson, for participating in the MCC Foundation's Scholarship 5K on behalf of the African American Affinity Group (3AG). Due to his participation, we were able to raise $1200 towards a scholarship in the name of our dear colleague, Professor Rochelle Watson-Payne.

Stephanie Pinckney

Stephanie goes above and beyond in our department on a daily basis. She assists students with both mental health counseling and disability services. Additionally, she takes on several other roles and tasks to help better our department. All while keeping a smile on her face and being a positive presence in our office.

Melis Kural
Teaching & Creativity Center
12/06/2023