Every summer, staff gather for a picnic to celebrate the end of the academic year and to honor the achievements of their colleagues. Service awards were given out to honor individuals who have five, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, and 35 years of employment with the College, and the staff McPherson Award recipients were announced. McPherson winners are recognized for excellence and service to the community, either within or beyond the boundaries of this institution.
This year's McPherson Award recipients with excerpts from their nominations:
Campus Safety Officer Cheryl Tavares:
"As a Campus Safety officer and dispatcher working the overnight shift, Cheryl always makes students and guests feel welcome, reassured, and safe.
"Cheryl is known to give students in the Lusty Cup extra time to fill water bottles at the fountain as she closes the library so they do not have to use bathroom sinks as they study late into the night. She also takes time to talk with the students, checking their well-being and addressing their concerns. Cheryl has established a reputation as a caring individual and is well known to the students. Many have even continued to maintain contact with her after they have graduated.
"She has attended Posse retreats and hosted students at her home for Thanksgiving. Cheryl has also been known to provide bedding and toiletries for students who have had late or lost luggage upon their arrival to campus. As a dispatcher, Cheryl goes out of her way to make all who call or stop into our building welcome and take care of their needs, whether it is issuing a parking permit, reuniting somebody with lost property, or just listening.
"Cheryl even goes beyond expectations maintaining a positive environment for her co-workers. She has brought decorations from home during the holidays to create a festive atmosphere. Her smile is always present and she is known by all to look for the good in people and the positive in any situation.
"I believe Cheryl is more than a Campus Safety officer. She is an ambassador for the department and for Bryn Mawr College."
Academic Administrative Assistant Margaret Kelly:
"At the various crunch times in the semester, Margaret always rises above the fray, staying calm and focused, and seeing the rest of us through busy periods. When patience is running low, when everyone is overextended and stressed, Margaret always has the expedient solution and the helpful gesture to make it all run more smoothly. We depend on her diplomacy, generosity, clarity, and intelligence on a daily basis. There have been many moments when I've been at the end of my rope, and Margaret has not only come to my rescue—solving the problem of the hour—but has also modeled the kind of collegial behavior and general good will toward which we all need to strive.
"As faculty have shifted dramatically over the past several years, we have turned more and more to Margaret to help fill the gaps in institutional knowledge, but also to help us determine how we might do things better moving forward. She is truly a colleague in the management of our programs. We are so profoundly fortunate to have her working by our sides.
"Margaret is unquestionably reliable and capable. She is one of the few people to whom I will entrust a thorny issue or turn in a time of need. I have deep confidence in her judgment, and regularly ask her for help in making decisions. It is also a pleasure to be in her company. She maintains a lighthearted attitude and a perspective on what really counts in life that I admire and aspire to follow.
"Margaret is extremely capable and well-liked colleague who has gone ‘above and beyond’ many times for the College. She is an excellent candidate for the McPherson Award."
Director of Constituency Communications Maureen McGonigle:
"Maureen has awesome people skills, an infectious sense of humor, and a great imagination. She knows everyone on campus, is always ready and willing to help out, and makes people feel immediately welcomed. In this hyper-serious place, she always finds a way to get people laughing. Plus, she’s whip-smart and her input is invaluable in planning: she has an uncanny ability to anticipate problems and their solutions.
"Maureen continually wonders what she can do to make Bryn Mawr a better workplace, as if it is her personal mission to do so.
"Maureen goes above and beyond for the College without hesitation. She magically created more tie dye for the PopUp when we were running low, even though it meant her hands and arms ended up completely green. She arrived on campus at 5:30 am—with a smile on her face!—to hide stuffed owls, even though she was working until 9 pm the night before.
"Maureen is an exceptional colleague and contributor to the College community…though she is modest and credits teams for her many successes, her work in sum has sustained the soul of the community and should be celebrated.
"Maureen possesses numerous gifts which she brings to work each day for the benefit of her colleagues and for the wellbeing of Bryn Mawr. She is incredibly smart and thinks quickly on her feet, tackling complex problems and trouble-shooting project snafus like a pro; has built authentic relationships with people across campus and is attuned to including anyone who may be new to a group or feel like an outsider; strives for excellence at all times while maintaining a sense of perspective; and is unfailingly generous.
"She is just an all-around amazing person, with a great sense of humor, who would help you at the drop of a hat. I feel immensely privileged to work with her."
Interested in working at Bryn Mawr College? Visit our Human Resources site for a listing of available openings.