Everyday Heroes for September 2022
Each month Mohawk Everyday Hero awards are given out to college faculty and staff who go above and beyond to make Mohawk an even better place to work. Know someone who works at Mohawk and makes a difference? Submit a Mohawk Everyday Hero nomination at www.mohawkcollege.ca/everydayhero.
Congratulations to the following recipients:
For her positive attitude, patience and ability to deliver on a tight deadline, Maggie Makar is a Mohawk College Everyday Hero. Maggie is an extremely talented graphic designer from the college’s Marketing department who is always a joy to work with. She is able to take an incredible amount of content and transform it into something that looks amazing and clearly communicates the intended message to the appropriate audience. Aside from her creative abilities, Maggie not only welcomes design feedback, but she also invites people into the design process to discuss their thoughts and suggestions. Colleagues appreciate Maggie’s positive can-do attitude, her patience, and her ability to deliver on tight deadlines. She is deserving of this recognition, not only for her technical abilities, but also for her interpersonal skills and for being an incredible person to work with.
For his strong work ethic, passion and commitment to quality, Ken Wong is a Mohawk College Everyday Hero. Ken demonstrates Mohawk’s values in everything he does. His willingness to learn and to take more responsibilities, while continuing to help others is an inspiration to many. One of the things Ken is known for is making the training sessions he runs fun for the participants. During a recent web audit, Ken has received a lot of praise and gratitude from colleagues throughout the college, demonstrating how much his support and expertise is valued and appreciated.
For the support he provides to students who need OSAP funding for their education, Ian MacMillan is a Mohawk College Everyday Hero. Ian is a Support Officer in the Financial Assistance department where he is responsible for the administration of financial need programs, such as the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP), Tuition Fee Policy (TFP) and other government equivalent programs. Ian works collaboratively with a large number of college stakeholders to support their efforts in providing proactive, student-focused services in a variety of formats. He is an incredible source of knowledge in the Financial Assistance Office and the Registrar’s Office related to financial aid administration, student awards and other government programs. Ian’s work is critical to students who depend on OSAP funding. He anticipates student needs and concerns and looks for ways to add value beyond their immediate need. For the work he does every day and his dedication to our students, Ian is an Everyday Hero.
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Alexandra Rodriguez | Debra Clinton |
For everything they do to support students and promote financial literacy, Debra Clinton and Alexandra Rodriguez are Mohawk College Everyday Heroes. Debra and Alexandra lead the college’s Mo’Money Financial Literacy Centre. This dynamic duo continues to find new ways to engage with our students, whether through the Mo’Money newsletter or bringing in new partners to deliver workshops. Deb and Alexandra understand that staff are key to supporting students on their journey to becoming financially literate, and are committed to ensuring students have access to the resources and supports they need to tackle saving for school, creating and sticking to a budget, understanding credit, investing, making major purchases and planning for life after school. The work, dedication and support provided by Debra and Alexandra within Mo’Money is tremendous, which is why they are deserving of this Every Day Hero award.
For going above-and-beyond to support Indigenous students, Amanda Aitchison is a Mohawk College Everyday Hero. Amanda is the Indigenous Awareness Programmer within the Indigenous Student Services team. Her role is to create and support a variety of programming and events within the department, such as Pathfinder, TIPS, food supports, etc. Although this support is a part of Amanda's role, the connections and supports she provides to students is exceptional. Amanda is a collaborative and forward thinking member of the team. She is integral key to the college’s Pathfinder program, from helping students navigate the application process to the completion of the program. During the pandemic, Amanda worked to ensure that these students had the same experience, supports and connection to Mohawk College as they would have if the program was in-person. Amanda also coordinates the annual Indigenous Student Awards ceremony, which has been delivered virtually over the last two years. She has worked hard to create a meaningful experience for recipients by arranging for dinner to be delivered to them, and sending them packages with banners and posters to celebrate their award. She also went above-and-beyond to include a personal, hand-written, congratulatory message to each recipient. Amanda is dedicated to her team and to students and is very deserving of this Mohawk College Everyday Hero Award.