SFCC honors best, brightest

Officials from State Fair Community College honored their own Friday with an awards ceremony celebrating the institution’s best and brightest.

Students and instructors gathered Friday night at the Fred E. Davis Multipurpose Center for the college’s 2008 honors convocation.

English instructor Erin Kaufman took home the Instructor of the Year award, while adjunct business instructor Tara Wirt was named Adjunct Instructor of the Year honors.

“I’m very honored,” Kaufman said of receiving her award. Kaufman said instructors teach for the students rather than personal accolades, but added it was nice to be credited along along with the students.

“I think teaching and learning is a reciprocal relationship,” she said. “Just as we like to recognize our students, it’s nice to be recognized ourselves.”

Kaufman joined the SFCC faculty in 2005. She received her Master of Arts degree in English from the University of South Dakota in 2004, and a Bachelor of Arts in English and Education from the University of Dayton in 2000, according to an SFCC release on the awards.

Prior to obtaining her bachelor’s degree, Kaufman helped establish the Kaufman-Orso Public Library, the first public library in Kumba, Cameroon, in July 1999. In addition to committee service, she is also co-advisor for the Alpha Lambda Omega chapter of Phi Theta Kappa.

Early childhood education major Annette Craig nominated Kaufman for the award.

“I think she’s a really good teacher,” Craig said. “She wants her students to succeed, and she’ll help you in any way that she can.”

Craig, 45, had Kaufman for both English Composition II and American Literature. She said Kaufman put her at ease when the returning student took Kaufman for English, a subject Craig had first taken 14 years prior to Kaufman’s course.

“I was a little apprehensive (about) how I was going to do in there. She told me not to worry, that I would do fine, and she would help me with anything I needed,” Craig said. “It gave me more confidence. I ended up doing great in the class.”

Wanda Hicks, one of two students who nominated Wirt, said in the SFCC release that Wirt goes out of her way to make sure students understand what is being taught.

“She cares about both her students and their education,” Hicks said. “Tara wants you to learn — if you want to learn — as well as get a degree.”
Wirt was unable to attend Friday’s ceremony, but according to SFCC officials she has taught part time at the college since 2005. Before coming to SFCC she taught English and social studies in the Green Ridge R-VIII School District and worked as an oncology secretary at Bothwell Regional Health Center.

She received a Bachelor of Science degree in business education in 2000 from Central Missouri State University.

Dozens of students were also honored at the ceremony. Four students, two earning Associate of Arts degrees and two on the Associate of Science track, received the top Distinguished Student awards.

Linda Kay Intelmann and Ashley Lynne Green, both of Sedalia, shared the top award for students earning Associate of Arts degrees.
Intelmann, who is majoring in general studies, plans to attend the University of Central Missouri.

Green, a general studies in humanities and social sciences major, also took home several other awards, including President’s Scholar, Outstanding Student, All American Academic Team, Socratic Science Scholar, Lasovier Chemistry Scholar, and Biology Scholar awards.
Rebecca I. Rich, of Sedalia, and Dolores A. Waltermate-Grable, of Warsaw, shared the top award for students earning Associate of Applied Science degrees.

Rich, a radiologic technology major, also received an Outstanding Student award, while Waltermate-Grable, who is majoring in early childhood development, took home Young Educator and Outstanding Student awards.

Michael Ash, vice-president for student services at SFCC, said events like Friday’s ceremony serve both to honor recipients and inspire others.
“It was a wonderful celebration of student success, as well as a celebration of the wonderful activities of our outstanding faculty,” he said.