President Johnsen and the UA Staff Alliance are pleased to announce the 2018 Staff Make Students Count award winners:

• Tim Flynn, Student Union Operations Coordinator, Anchorage Campus, UAA
• Shayla Sulser, Advising Coordinator, Department of Business and Public Administration, Juneau Campus, UAS
• Wanda Wahl, Program Liaison and Project Assistant, Allied Health, Bristol Bay Campus, UAF

The Staff Make Students Count Awards were established in the spring of 1999 to recognize university staff who have provided outstanding service to students. Service to students may include service as part of the job or volunteer service, either directly to students or behind the scenes. The awards will be presented during the May 31 Board of Regents’ meeting in Anchorage.�
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These staff members were nominated by their co-workers and the students they support in honor of the outstanding work they do for our universities. Staff at UA can make an impact in a wide variety of ways, as shown by the nomination letters received for each awardee.
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Tim Flynn
“Aside from working with students, Tim Flynn does an excellent job at monitoring the Student Union and ensuring that all students have a voice on campus. If it were not for Tim Flynn and the work he does, the functionality of student life, leadership, and success would be drastically different. I am not only proud to call Tim Flynn a staff resource, but a friend I will always cherish.”
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“Tim is exemplary of what it means to be a caring administrator, and a helpful staff person. If all university staff were as open, caring and student-oriented as Tim is, UAA would be known universally as an institution that prioritizes and empowers students. I am proud to be nominating Tim Flynn for this award.”
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Shayla Sulser
“Shayla Sulser has helped me immensely in choosing my classes and advising me on what subjects to enroll in would be in my best interests. She was always careful not to overwhelm me with the future prospects of graduation, and most of all, she always advised me in an extremely professional way. She would strategize with me to enroll me in classes taught by a professor that would work with my particular skill sets so that I could successfully graduate last December.”
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“Shayla demonstrates on a daily basis that she cares deeply about student success. Students in the business and public administration programs are often non-traditional students who are either transferring in from other programs, returning to school after taking time off to raise families or pursue other careers, or are starting school later in life. These students often have some anxiety about going to school -- that potentially they’re too old, or too busy, or it’s too late to go back to school. Shayla has a knack for helping them to feel more comfortable and confident in their pursuit of education. She helps them at every step of the process, and her positive encouraging and friendly demeanor helps them to gain confidence.”
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Wanda Wahl
“Wanda Wahl carries herself with dignity and respect and treats our students the way she would like to be treated--giving them the tools they need to become more successful in their own life journeys. I have seen what a great motivator to the students in our construction trades program she can be! … She has also been a superstar in advocating for our nursing program and on many occasions has adjusted her own work schedule in order to better accommodate the needs of others.”
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“Wanda’s tenacity to support students is impressive. When a question is asked, no matter the topic, Wanda goes out of her way to find the answer and she does so in a timely manner. If any issues arise during lecture, lab, or a conference/meeting, Wanda is quick to resolve the problem. She is dependable and incredibly hard-working.”
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Please join us in congratulating these outstanding staff members.