Congratulations to Connie Dowell, coordinator for the Stafford Campus Writing Center, who has been selected as the Excellent Eagle Employee for the month of June. A parking spot of her choosing has been reserved for her through the end of the month.
Here is what a co-worker said about her:
“Connie Dowell is the coordinator for the Stafford Campus Writing Center. Although Connie is located out on Stafford away from the main campus, she takes her job as seriously as if she were seeing 300 students a day. Connie adores the students at Stafford and works to ensure their writing needs are met. Moreover, Connie works hard to build bridges and relationships with the other departments and services around the writing center in an effort to ensure that students receive the assistance, support, and encouragement they so deserve.
Connie coordinates workshops for students such as APA Bootcamp and works with the library to ensure students have opportunities to master APA citation style. Importantly, Connie listens. She is truly concerned about what students say they need from their experiences at UMW and works hard to provide them with the skills and support the wriitng center can offer. Any student to whom I have spoken who has worked with Connie always echoes the same sentiment in a variety of ways: She was patient, kind, and brilliant.
Those who know Connie would describe her as quiet, but we have all heard the cliché that still waters run deep. Connie is truly a content person absorbed in thought most days. It would be a mistake to construe her quiet as aloofness. Rather, the opposite is true. Connie illustrates what Mother Teresa described as practicing humility: ‘To speak as little as possible of one’s self. To pass over the mistakes of others. To be kind and gentle even under provocation.’ Connie is truly a humble employee who works tirelessly to assist students; she endeavors to gain as much wisdom as possible. She even works in her spare time to publish a book on composition in universities as well as keeping up a blog for which she writes and illustrates.
Connie never ceases to amaze me. She has amazing hobbies. One day she simply brought everyone some hot peppers she had been growing at home. She and her husband hiked in Alaska for their honeymoon. She decorates cakes for people who want them. Connie knits. Who knows what else she does! As Silent Bob says in Chasing Amy, “What you don’t know about [Connie] could just about fill the Grand Canyon.” Indeed she is a source of order, dependability, knowledge, friendship, and support..”
To nominate someone who you believe is an Excellent Eagle Employee, send an email to Priscilla Sullivan (psulliva@umw.edu) with Excellent Eagle Employee in the subject line. In your email, be sure to list the person’s name, department, job title, work location (with the most convenient parking lot), and of course, the reason why you believe they should be recognized. Please spread the word to other employees about this wonderful opportunity to recognize a co-worker(s).
You may now go to the Staff Advisory Council’s site and click on the Excellent Eagle tab to make a nomination: http://sac.umwblogs.org/excellent-eagle/.
Congratulations Connie!