Employees nominated by students for going above, beyond

The honorees for Access Advocate of the Year showcased how sacrifices and hard work can help students overcome their hardships.

The event, by the Del Mar Center for Access and Advocacy, took place on the 33rd anniversary of the American with Disabilities Act of 1990. This firmly rooted the event in a decades’ long tradition of disability care.

Thirteen employees were honored at the Oct. 5 ceremony in Wolfe Recital Hall. These employees were singled out by the students they serve. Letters from students were read that attested to the patience and understanding exercised by the advocates. This support instilled in many students a newfound self-confidence. On occasion, advocates reached out to students to make sure they knew the services available to them, and that advocates had their back.

Advocates must maintain considerable documentation and record keeping. Recently, an employee developed a program that simplifies the process and makes it less time consuming. It has cut work in this area down by 50 percent.

“Helping students feel welcome and accommodated is probably one of the biggest challenges” because they “might feel embarrassed” to ask for help, said Audrey Alton, one of the award recipients.

The Center for Access and Advocacy is described as “student-centered advocates who collaborate and listen in order to guide students toward pursuing personal, professional, and academic goals,” according to its website, delmar.edu/offices/caa/.

The three main areas in which they seek to provide support are grades, resources and access to classes. The office’s name was recently changed from Disability Services and Retention Services to the Center for Access and Advocacy to better “reflect why students should come to their office.”

The CAA is located in the Harvin Center, Room 188, at Heritage Campus; in Health Science Building 1, Room 215, at Windward Campus; and in the Main Building, Room 213, at the Oso Creek Campus. For more information, contact 361-698-1292 or access@delmar.edu.

The following employees were recognized as Advocates of the Year:

• Kelley Bazemore, Assistant Professor, Nurse Ed
• Emily Petrikas, Instructor, Nurse Ed
• Brenda Garcia, Access Specialist, CAA
• Anna Lazrak, Office Assistant, CAA
• Lisa Tilly, Access Specialisty, CAA
• Sandra Deleon, Assistant Professor, Nurse Ed
• Moriah Hovey, Assistant Instructor, Mathematics
• Catherine Albert, Instructor, Government/Political Science
• Elizabeth Barron, Office Assistant, Nurse Ed
• Geraldine Valentine, Assistant Professor, Nurse Ed
• Audrey Alton, Assistant Professor, Registered Nurse
• Erin Cohen, Administrative Assistant, CAA
• Lisa Sullivan, Internet Specialist II, Information Technology