"She is genuinely the best teacher I have ever had. I hate English but I love her class I was able to be successful in her class when English is very hard for me."

From: EBY DANIELS, Student PACE

"Tiffany goes above and beyond any expectation of her role. She is continually mentoring our student workers and providing exceptional service in the food pantry. She is respected and loved by all of our patrons in the food pantry. She has developed new training for our student workers and revamped the look of the food pantry. I am grateful to have her as a teammate and her ability to see each person as an individual. Thank you for putting a smile on every student who walks through our doors and for normalizing help."

From: Vez Osmani, Director of Acess and Campus Resources

"Razvan demonstrates a strong work ethic and a commitment to excellence. He is committed to learning more than his job requires and shines in testing new solutions. Razvan is the 'it's not a problem' guy who is always willing to do everything to help others and push extra hours to handle the influx of last-minute files for the term start or student graduation. Sometimes you can be uncertain of how the team will handle yet another request to prioritize files during rush time, so it does make you say 'wow' when you hear 'not a problem' each time. That's Razvan; he puts a smile on his face, lets the last-minute-requests-adrenaline kick in and just like that he simply responds: 'not a problem; I can work on this now and come in on Saturday.'"

From: Hanna Wielgat-Blin, Director of Articulation Technology and Registrar Services

"Very passionate about her program. Spoke to one of our potential students which was very excited and motivated to start the program after speaking with Dr. Buckley!"

From: Ibelisse Peguero, Enrollment

"Thanks so much for always being there for us and the positivity you bring to our meetings and to our prep sessions. I'm so glad you are leading us!"

From: Gloria McDaniel-Hall, Associate Professor/Ed Leadership

I re-envisioned, revised and redeveloped the course content and D2L course shell for ECE 504 Human Development course. The revision mainly focused on providing more up-to-date resources to our students. In addition, course content was re-envisioned in order to be more inclusive all experiences as human beings. Students' reflections also highlighted that students welcomed the steps I have taken to foster inclusive learning and understanding of human development and growth. For instance one said: "I was very excited about this class, and with good reason. Not only was the professor easy to get a hold of whenever I had questions, but I also enjoyed the course content. The class discussions and topics made you think, and the scenarios gave great examples of how to talk with parents regarding their children... Being a person of color, I appreciated how the topics of racism and biased matters in the classroom were addressed and talked about... Lastly, thank you for making me feel welcomed and seen in the class it really means a lot to me." Another commented "'Despite being an online class, I thought the professor was excellent, and the class content was well-delivered. I appreciate how the topics were specific and easy to follow throughout the term. I also like the professor's teaching style, her learning objectives, and the constructive feedback she provided on our assignments."

From: Bilge Cerezci, Assistant Professor/Early Childhood Education

"A student had been showing up to the Learning Support space several days in a row, scrambling to make up a lot of assignments that she had missed over the course of the quarter... Alyx noticed that the student seemed extremely stressed, and as someone who cares a LOT about mental health advocacy, she recognized that the student was actually having a major mental health episode. Alyx intervened immediately once she realized the student was having a panic attack and helped her with breathing / behavioral therapy interventions that she had learned as someone who had previously been in similar situations... Alyx personally assisted the student in reaching out to the counseling staff -- not just referring her, but actively participating to ensure she was getting appropriate assistance....Alyx's intervention was so important (because) it set an example of student-centered care and attention to detail that I've rarely seen, both as a staff member AND as a student taking classes here. It's service that has a lingering impact on students' perceptions of our institution, and it was a beautiful culture-setting moment."

From: Michael Ordower, Learning Specialist w/Learning Support

"I had stopped by and asked for directions and Nicholas was very nice and helpful. He also informed me about free counseling available for NLU students and feel free to stop by."

From: Rose Hernandez, Student

"She has gone above and beyond more than once. Vesilla has a knack for communication that I had yet to see in a staff member until coming to NLU. As a new advisor, I was still getting the hang of my rhythm and organization when Vesilla took time out of her busy schedule to give me an in depth look on how she keeps her caseload organized. She sent over email templates to help me and after a week or so, even checked back in to make sure I felt confident. Vesilla not only finds solutions to problems, but then shares her findings with us all. She's a team player and makes everyone feel welcome. I feel Vesilla is WOW because she makes a new advisor like me, feel WOW worthy too."

From: Claire Huntley, Graduate Academic Advisor

"Rosemary is attentive, knowledgeable and is able to take request from a non technical person and deliver on that request. When reviewing report I noticed some reports needed additional insights. Rosemary had all reports updated same business day!"

From: Chris Stahlberg, Marketing

"Monica was a life-saver and went above and beyond to help a student experiencing book access issues. The student wasn't very familiar with tech, which was causing a lot of the issue. It would have been easy to brush the student off and not help but Monica kept on with the student to pursue an answer. She offered to meet with the student to help with access issues and it was a very WOW moment. I get reminded everyday how lucky I am to work with the incredible people I do, that always keep the student as the focus. This was just another reminder! Thanks Monica!"

From: Kate Gonzales, Academic Advising

"Monica De Asa has consistently gone above and beyond for me! I am not exaggerating when I say she has been a saving grace during my time here at NLU. Out of all my administrative tasks, the Adoptions/Bookstore process is the one that keeps me up at night. There are so many moving parts involved that I found myself bracing for impact. Monica did not let it fall apart! She has met with me one on one, shared resources, provided words of encouragement, and even stepped in on emails where I truly felt lost. I'm so grateful to her for sharing her valuable time and energy to assist me. Thank you so much Monica! You're amazing."

From: Karen Valencia, Academic Admin - Office of the Dean-Psychology

"Sophie is an amazing thought partner with us as we plan for our NCE meetings this year! She is thoughtful, comprehensive and always thinks of ways to make our meetings more engaging and action-oriented. She organizes us and keeps us on track in such a WOW Way!"

From: Gloria McDaniel-Hall, Associate Professor/Ed Leadership

"Elizabeth has been an extraordinary resource and an immense help to me since I started my role at NLU in Feb 2024. She's taken hours out of her busy schedule to help orient me with the systems, reports, processes, and policies that are important for my role. She's moved on to a different department, but she still makes herself available to me. I was feeling overwhelmed with the volume of new information, but Elizabeth reassured me and was very patient and kind. I can't thank her enough for all her help. She really made me say WOW!"

From: Karen Valencia, Academic Admin - Office of the Dean-Psychology

"Ahmed offered to assist in making the internship approval process easier for both students and the Kendall Career Bridge team. Within less than 24 hours, Ahmed began streamlining documents and had ideas as to how to streamline the process. His quick actions and recommendations are greatly appreciated and adds to the team camaraderie that makes a team successful."

From: Deborah Bosco, Career Development Specialist

"Since I started working at NLU six months ago, there is not one day where Petey isn't there to welcome everyone on their way in with a grin, pleasant conversation, and a positive aura, even if Petey is having a bad day. First impressions are beyond influential, and Petey is even kinder than the first day I was greeted in the front lobby. Every day is fabulous when I see Petey on my way to work."

From: Lisa Stukel, Academic Project Coordinator NCE

"Lady has provided continuous great guidance and leadership, while also juggling the search of a new coach."

From: Bianca Ortega, coach UGC

"Kate is an amazing supportive AD and colleague. She is always willing to go out of her way to be supportive, emotionally and academically. She is always willing to help solve a problem, listen to you vent, help collaborate with others and implement new initiatives. Just yesterday Kate helped a GR advisor who is not on her caseload solve a difficult student situation... Kate stopped what she was working on, connected with the proper departments, and even sat with the new advisor while they gave the student the bad news, even though Kate does not work with that program or supervise that advisor. Kate goes out of her way to collaborate with the Ed UG advisors to implement programming for ED students and manages the coordination of ED Corner. Kate is super supportive and knowledgeable."

From: Sarah Smith, Advising

"Kate is always so helpful and upbeat. She takes on a support role with anyone she meets. She has made my transition to the education advising side so smooth. I know I can go to her anytime I need support."

From: Sarah Smith, Advising

"Eli has been a fantastic support in launching our staff-led professional development series and has been essential in connecting with space and resources to make sure these events can run smoothly. He took on the virtual communication component (Zoom) for our first hybrid workshop, showing service dedication by ensuring staff off-campus were still able to participate."

From: Kevin Sparrow, Manager of Learning Support

"Jason is a great manager He provides clear direction, delegates issues (not tasks), supports open communication, invests time in people development, provides constructive feedback, and gives credit to team."

From: Ryan Smith, Marketing

"She is very passionate about what she teaches and is really good at teaching."

From: EBY DANIELS, Student PACE

Thank you for your commitment to service excellence!

From: Vez Osami

"Lauren is always so helpful and willing to answer any and all of my questions. She takes on more than her role requires and deserves all sorts of recognition for it! Love working with her."

From: Elisabeth Wichser-Krajcik, Residency Advisor / Academic Advising Center

"From day one my advisor showed she served from the heart. Patient and wanting to assist in the greatest way possible. She never ceases to deliver the same way each time I reach out or meet with her. A jewel indeed."

From: Natalie Mcknight, Student

"I'd like to call out Dr. Leah Horvath for all her support and dedication to our students. In the last month while needing to navigate some student concerns Dr. Horvath spent over 10 hours of her own time reassessing and evaluating a student's work. This was all happening during much of the time when many of us faculty and staff were on spring break with our own kids. Dr. Horvath, when asked if she could help with this situation, did not miss a beat. She agreed immediately to be of service to support the College and the Provost's Office in remedying a student situation. She did so with the utmost professionalism and timeliness (all during spring break). Wow! Thank you so much Dr. Horvath for your help!"

From: Ignacio Lopez, Provost Office

"Bianli always goes above and beyond making sure that my students are set up for success. I could fill out a hundred of these for how many times she has helped students and staff without hesitation. She is an amazing team member and I cannot imagine this place without her."

From: Pete Kramer, Assistant Director

"Sarah always gives her best to motivate the team and help the team succeed. Her dedication to the team, support in all areas and understanding, those big and little things that make you feel good and prepare to tackle another issue, make me say 'wow, am I lucky to have a manager like Sarah on my team?' Though never asked, Sarah will handle late nights with ease, and stay at the top of the task even when others may be asleep. Her willingness to go the extra mile and work outside of the regular business hours is remarkable. She is a people person our team needs so much and deeply appreciates. Sarah's ability to be a role model encourages others to do their best, go beyond their job responsibilities and always put our student wellbeing above everything else."

From: Hanna Wielgat-Blin, Director of Articulation Technology and Registrar Services

"Professor Michael Krause has been a beacon of guidance and inspiration aiding me in showing the way of scholarships,forging vital connections within a hospitality industry,and fostering both my personal and professional growth. His unwavering commitment to my development,encapsulated by his thoughtful recommendation letters and letters and constant encouragement to excel my dreams,has been instrumental.For me,Kendall is not just an institution,it is a sacred space for pursuing my passion in hospitality management.and within its walls,Professor Krause is nothing short of a guiding light, whose impacts extends far beyond the conventional teacher-student relationship."

From: Shiva Basnet, student

"Paula is the kind of a person who makes me say "wow" consistently. She has truly professional qualities and genuinely cares about helping others and delivering excellent service and quality work. Whether I need a quick answer on a student issue, detailed testing on a system, or a comprehensive review and honest feedback on proposed solutions, she is always willing to help and always delivers. She integrates a "big picture" perspective into her approach and understands how the university vision can be applied at the departmental level. Paula is an unsung hero who always takes initiative, goes above and beyond to deliver exceptional results, consistently performs at the highest level, unconditionally supports the team leadership, and makes a lasting impact on the team and student services delivered by the office."

From: Hanna Wielgat-Blin, Director of Articulation Technology and Registrar Services

"I don't have any one particular moment or experience I recall about Paula, but rather an accumulation of moments where she's been nothing short of excellent. Paula is one of the most knowledgeable and patient people in the Registrar Office. She is always ready and able to help with any and all questions and requests that I send to her."

From: Razvan Botezatu, Senior Transfer Articulations Analyst

"HR needed some help in Lisle with completing I-9 verifications for new hires. Dana jumped right in to help and continues to help. She's a great presence in Lisle and is a pleasure to work with. Thank you Dana for all that you do!"

From: Holly Battaglia, Director, Human Resources

"When I was at International Enrollment I could witness the passion and service that Maria gives to students. She is always there for them and open to receive them anytime. Every orientation she invites them to go to her office anytime (she even tells them she has candy to encourage them to go) and that allows them to have that confidence of asking if they have any problem. She creates a very strong bond with each of them , cares about their culture and learns words in each of their language to show them she cares. The best thing is that it is easy to tell that her interest is genuine."

From: Stefania Bulnes Ostos, AU Enrollment

"Anna has provided exceptional service to the UGC Curriculum and Instruction Committee and to UGC faculty submitting curriculum workflows. She is extremely patient and competent at answering questions and fielding all manner of technical and administrative support needs. She has been an incredible asset to the university during the watermark rollout and has been wonderful to work alongside."

From: Martin Caver, Associate Professor of Practice, UGC

"Anna has gone (and continues to go) above and beyond in helping NCE create our new Curriculum Management System. As co-chair of the curriculum committee and the curriculum coordinator for NCE, I have experienced many "WOW" moments in seeing the amount of work Anna has been able to accomplish in a very, very short time. She has gracefully attended to all of our design needs and requests, as well as all of the many changes we have requested (and continue to request!). She has never complained once! Anna has been a gem throughout this process and has helped us make this a smooth transition."

From: Dr. Mary Hoch, Associate Professor/Reading & Language/NCE

"John Leever is exceptional all year long. Just in these past two weeks alone, John has been accessible for last minute reporting questions at both 7am and 5:30pm. He is always willing to help, providing reports and data in a matter of minutes which is helpful when needing to share something in the moment. He consistently makes me say WOW and I am lucky to call him a colleague!"

From: Sara Piraino, Vice Provost and University Registrar

"Danielle, aside from being an amazing employee all year round, truly went above and beyond in assisting a student from the early 1990's who attended NLU. The student reached out with concerns about the accuracy of their transcript and Danielle spent no less than three hours combing through (very dusty!) files from 1992 and 1993. Her work in this resulted in us being able to produce the original grade ledgers from that time, which confirmed the accuracy of grades on the student's transcript."

From: Sara Piraino, Vice Provost and University Registrar

"Amazing mentor!"

From: Patricia Rodriguez Gomez, Advising

"Chloe has jumped right in with a committee on Staff Council in the wake of her supervisor leaving NLU. She jumped right in, continued with the project and then at the last staff council meeting yesterday, rolled out the "staff council" calendar to all, explained how to find it, etc. Now we all have one calendar with staff council events, it's wondeful." Chloe jumped right in with a smile and got the job done. Well done Chloe!!!

From: Holly Battaglia, Director, Human Resources

"Juanita has taken on the lead to support our ideas for grant writing, and has worked tirelessly to keep our team on track and move our projects ahead... your fierce leadership and support on our initiatives is much appreciated and deserves to be recognized!!!"

From: Joao Goebel, Chair of ESL/Bilingual Education

"Today I had many calls and had no clue how to answer. But my coworker Kristie always has my back. Even when I'm working from home I can message her and she has bo problem helping. She makes me feel really comfortable coming to her."

From: Luciana Evans, Student Finances

"I've been training on phone calls and every time I need help she doesn't hesitate. Some time I have the craziest questions and Kristie can hear the student. She'll already be on her way over. I feel that she goes above and beyond to help students/coworkers."

From: Luciana Singleton, Student Finances

"I have been a grant writer for many years, for multiple organizations, and have relied upon colleagues in finance to provide information such as budgets and projections for proposals and reports -- always under deadline. In past jobs, this was often a nail-biting experience, as I would get the requested info at the very last minute, after multiple reminders. Not with Marty Mickey! He always responds promptly to my requests, even after hours and on weekends. I marvel at this, considering his role as VP of Finance for an organization as large and complex as NLU. Most recently, on 3/14/24 at 4:54 PM, I asked Marty for financial info for a proposal due 4/1. He replied a mere 19 minutes later, at 5:13 PM. That is service excellence. So I would like to give Marty a Wow! for being so responsive (and reducing my stress level). P.S. He also makes delicious brownies."

From: Heidi Bloom, Institutional Advancement

"Nika has taken on the role of Diversity, Equity and Inclusiion for NLU for staff and faculty. It is a huge task, parterning with Kevin on the student side, and she has come up with great ideas to help people understand what it means to be inclusive. What types of behaviors and actions to take to be more inclusive. She really has a great approach, is calming and helpful during situations. I've personally seen her help a manager in another department handle a situaiton better, she does it with such calmness and ease and really makes you understand, helps you see the other side of the coin. It's wonderful!!! Well done Nika!!"

From: Holly Battaglia, Director, Human Resources

"Brian is beyond helpful. As an NCE advisor, I have students submitting their ST applications all the time. Many times, they need to be moved, added, etc. from SONIA. Brian oversees the website and I cannot express how patient and helpful he can be. I email him at least 5 times a week with updates. He is so quick to get my changes done and is always personable - with is hard to do over email. We are so lucky to have him at NLU."

From: Claire Huntley, Advising

"Brian assisted the BA Teacher Education department in revising their field hour time-sheet process to improve the student experience, support the academic team, and create a more streamlined process for mentor teachers. It is a win-win-win!"

From: Lisa Mozer, Executive Director, Office of Field Experience & PK12 School Partnerships

"Emma is an excellent leader in her role as Asst Director in the Advising department. Over the course of the Fall term, she managed a significant project for the graduate MAT programs. The 4 Grad Advisors created an impressive website of student resources from scratch, due to Emma's excellent organization, support, and ability to manage the project. Emma ensured the project met all deadlines, supported each of the 4 staff through their portions of the work, and ultimately is the reason this incredible resource for MAT students is now launched."

From: Leah Ott, Associate Director, Advising

"Sara Nobles WOW's me every time, I hear about all of the innovative ideas she has on how to work smarter not harder. She has created so many time saving tools to make her job easier as an Outreach and Enrollment Specialist, that I've even started using her tools to make my job easier. When you ask students why they enrolled at NLU, specifically in the Florida School of Professional Psychology program, they all say, it's because of Sara. She has the ability to highlight the program and give great customer service to all of her current and perspective students. And has earned the respect of her peers, students, faculty, and even potential students, just by going a great job. Thank you Sara for being you...and setting the WOW bar high on customer service at NLU!"

From: DeeDee Kirk, Admin Assistant- FSPP

"Michael has been an excellent coworker by stepping in when I needed help with a student's schedule. They helped me and the student, who is now on the way to passing their class."

From: Maleek Richardson, Learning Support

"Kimberly, congrats on obtaining a NAAAHR Certificate in "The Art of Bringing Strategy to Life!" You are always finding ways to learn, grow and help our department. Thank you for going above and beyond."

From: Amy King, Human Resources

"Sara has been a true blessing to our team and other teams at the university. Her vast knowledge on various academic areas, broad vision for our department, and her professional judgement astounds me daily. I constantly catch myself saying a silent 'wow' as she leaves me speechless. Sara is not only a great boss but also a very caring leader who brings out the best in people. She genuinely cares for the team and makes everyone feel important and valued. She finds ways to spend quality time with the team and comes up with amazing ideas on how to get the team engaged and feel appreciated. She always smiles as she passes by anyone, no matter how hard her day might have been. She is great at finding solutions to complex issues, and she does it with ease and integrity. She always works incredibly hard to better the experience of our students, team, and others at NLU. Sara brings a sense of belonging and importance to our team. She cares. She inspires."

From: Hanna Wielgat-Blin, Director of Articulation Technology and Registrar Services

"Lydia is a great leader whom seeks to make our students time in higher education a positive one. She is constantly flooded with appointments from students in all different programs wanting to speak to an expert who makes financial aid less intimidating. She has a great attitude and always puts all of our students first. Our department could not be luckier to have such a Rockstar on our team!"

From: Cynthia Reyes, Student Finance

"Cynthia has been very helpful since my first day at this job. She has always been supportive not only to her colleagues but the students as well. Cynthia deserves to be recognized for the hard work that she does, as most of the time it is not seen nor mentioned. Whenever there is a problem, Cynthia is always ready to solve it or to reach out for a solution. Cynthia places the department's needs above her own, regardless of the workload that she has amassed."

From: Alexis Zambrano, Student Finance Representative

"She has been a leader to the UGC Student Finance team. We can always count on her with any questions we may have. She also takes time out of her busy work schedule to meet with our team and train us on new techniques and financial aid processes."

From: Ashley Godoy, Student Finance Representative

"Actively participated in social media content in hopes to engage students through various platforms and perform high levels of acting skill."

From: Sybrina, Learning support

"Professor Romer is exceptional. He consistently goes above and beyond to help students achieve success, by sending motivational emails, consistently checking in, and encouraging them to be the best they can be. I am always receiving requests from students to be placed in his courses, because they know that the wants the best for them and will help them succeed. Professor Romer always has a big smile for his students, his peers, and faculty and staff. Kendall is so lucky to have such a wonderful person and faculty member."

From: Rebecca Woods, Advisor

"Joined me while scouting locations for commencement happy hours. Reminded me of important questions to ask and just generally on top of everything and making sure all details are reviewed. When I'm juggling 1000 things Edmarie is right there to help me keep my balance."

From: Bianli Jacobs, Graduate Advising

"Moshe was working as our team's liaison for data, and he was singlehandedly holding our data operations together for Learning Support, going way above and beyond his job responsibilities already. He suddenly got ill and went on FMLA leave, but because he was the main person on our data sub-team, he texted us personally to provide us instructions on how to keep operations going in his absence. It was extraordinarily kind of him. One day he insisted on joining us on Teams to help us prepare for a major presentation, even though we told him to rest and take care of himself. It really demonstrated how much of a team player he is, how much he cares about this job, and how dedicated he is to helping make our lives easier as coworkers and people. We love you, Moshe!"

From: Michael Ordower, Learning Specialist w/Learning Support

"In the midst of the hectic university routine, Dr. S stood out for her positivity and helpfulness. Always wearing a smile, she not only led the ABA program but also made every encounter enjoyable. Whether clarifying complex topics or simply sharing a laugh, Dr. S's presence was uplifting. Her consistent support and enthusiasm made her a standout figure at NLU. If there's anyone deserving of a "Wow!" nomination, it's undoubtedly Dr. S."

From: Abdul Rahman Radwan, Student

"I have three courses that I manage in UCG Ed Prep. I submitted course management requests for all three, with one having significant changes. Kara worked quickly and even reached out with questions and to let me know when the changes were completed. She gave me such piece of mind that my courses will be ready for the next term!"

From: Susan Schulhof, Assistant Professor of ECE in Ed Prep

"Exceptional professional and personal support creating a wonderful work environment."

From: Patricia Rodriguez Gomez, Academic Advising Coordinator, Department of Advising

"Sarah Smith is always thinking up inventive ways to support her colleagues and students. She embodies the highest levels of empathy, patience, and creativity. She continually demonstrates service excellence! This particular instance, she has done 2 things to WOW the NLU community: 1. She has brought her own items and established a Zen Corner to bring warmth and positivity into her colleagues' work environment. 2. She developed and executed a bulletin board to celebrate all the wonderful work academic advisors produce. She is the kindest soul, and she deserves all the best. :) Thank you, Sarah."

From: Vesilla Dao, Student Success Advisor/Academic Advising

"KJ is an outstanding student. She goes above and beyond to communicate and participate in her educational journey. She does not let her struggles, personal or academic, get her down. She is always up for utilizing the resources available at NLU and is quick to reach out if she needs support. She is learning to advocate for her needs. She is a fantastic example of an exploratory student."

From: Sarah Smith, Advising

"Maria is one of a kind academic advisor who cares genuinely and deeply about students' wellness and success. My 2023 was extremely difficult due to personal changes and tragedies, but Maria went above and beyond to make me feel supported and cared for. She stays in touch and responds promptly on any inquiries and questions. She is the type of advisor that students would remember for a lifetime. Thank you, Maria!!"

From: Wenfan Chen, Student

"John always goes above and beyond in helping students with their financial aid packages and by explaining their financial aid to them. He stays on top of his job and provides students prompt responses to their questions."

From: Marty Mickey, VP-Finance

"Chris Stahlberg is always there to lend a helping hand and he does this with a smile on his face."

From: Ryan Smith, Marketing

I really like Dr. The and love her teaching methods. So if she teaches any of the classes I have I would like to have her.

From: Nora Babb, Student, Student

"Juan was extremely generous with his time and knowledge in helping me translate a flyer from English to Spanish. He edited the flyer multiple times to make sure the Spanish conveyed the right mix of professionalism and friendliness. His actions helped make the university a more inclusive place."

From: Gail Schneiderman, Graphic designer, marketing

"Paige has displayed outstanding leadership and skill in not only assisting her dept but also in working with students. Paige had a few students that had issues prior to the Spring start and were in jeopardy of not starting, she used her skillset and knowledge to work with and assist the students through the challenge and helped them start classes. Paige also covered a Saturday enrollment event that resulted in a mix up of dates. She did a great job of servicing prospective students and covered for her team."

From: Chris Todaro, Executive Director/ Enrollment

"Anthony has exceptional customer service, A high level of professionalism. He's poised & attentive to detail. Due to his excellent critical thinking skills, he found a way to solve my problems with my student aid, he shortened my wait time, while also finding a way to assure me things would be fine. He is truly great, at his position."

From: Richard Knoble, csis major

"Laura has been incredibly helpful and kind to me as I'm learning how to provide administrative support for the Counseling Program. I was assigned tasks to complete in Tevera and Laura was kind enough to sit with me at my desk and guide me through each and every step. She provided important context and helped me navigate the complex web of this online platform. She has a busy schedule, so I really appreciated her patience and willingness to show me the ropes. Her approachable and friendly demeanor made me feel comfortable enough to make mistakes and ask as many questions as I wanted. After our session I felt more confident while executing these administrative tasks on my own. I am so grateful for that. Thank you!"

From: Karen Valencia, Academic Admin - Office of the Dean-Psychology

"Wendy has been an excellent team player here in the finance department. She is a friend to all and an amazing coach to her students. Her jokes always bring everyone laughter and smiles."

From: Jayda Torres, Financial Aid Advisor

"I initially called Shaker in August when my good friend and NLU student suggested I finish my degree. The first 48 hours was a combination of wrong addresses and phone numbers until I finally connected with Shaker. His personality was magnetic, reassuring, and all that I needed to know that I could tackle any obstacle that was in front of me or hindered me from getting into NLU. My goal was to start September 25th for orientation and Shaker walked me through of all the necessary steps, all the he would do to help, and that this was absolutely something that I could achieve. If it wasn't for Shaker going above and beyond and exceeding my expectations, I might have assumed that the challenge was too large, but I wouldn't be sitting here preparing to graduate June 15th. I still say WOW everyday that my dream is finally coming to pass because of Shaker!"

From: Felicia Riley, Student

"The team of the Registrar's Office Transfer Articulation Analysts surprise everyone with "wow" moments time after time. They support so many departments and never turn anyone away with an 'I don't know; it's beyond my job responsibilities' response. They research the issue and always go above and beyond the call of duty in pursuit of service excellence and providing help to both employees and students. They are miracle workers who are always willing to do heavy lifting to get things done, like last minute student evaluations. Just recently, I experienced another "wow" moment when seeing how they handled the BS MCH program roll out. They received an academic alert for the new program on Wednesday afternoon and reviewed the alert the same day while the program was being built into DegreeWorks. They got trained on program requirements Thursday morning, and started student evaluations the same day. They worked on Saturday and put in countless extra hours to evaluate all BS MCH applicants just before the term start on Monday, so that those last-minute, anxious students can continue their education with NLU after experiencing their previous institution unexpectedly closing its doors last Fall."

From: Hanna Wielgat-Blin, Director of Articulation Technology and Registrar Services

"Shout out to this AMAZING team in recognition of their enthusiam, teamwork, and innovation. They are taking our outreach efforts to a new level! They have recently created a meaningful campaign to recognize teachers during Teacher Appreciation Week that exemplifies the deep roots and mission of NLU."

From: Marci Mazza, Executive Director/Enrollment

Professor Seema Imam represented NCE's Graduate College of Education in the DEIB efforts to hold NLU's first-ever EID ul Fitr celebration for Undergraduate students on Wednesday, April 17. According to Dr. Seema, "(The students) expressed an interest and wanted to be in touch more. They were so excited to have a professor wearing a hijab from NLU. It was easy to see that they longed for a connection with their culture and people like them." I believe this is truly a "WOW" experience because a sense of belonging is a key factor we all consider when we're deciding whether we'll stay on or leave a place. It contributes to how satisfied we are at work/school and how safe we feel to fully, freely, and authentically speak, do, and be. To LIVE!! The DEIB office is led by Keith Baltimore, and the committee that made it possible included Dr. Seema Imam, Juan Vicente, and Sevtap Guldur."

From: Dr. Jamillah Gilbert, Director of Teacher Preparation

"Ken, Bozena and Anna assisted with a complicated situation in which a student was re-entered into the incorrect program years ago and had completed the degree. Ken, Bozena and Anna were incredibly flexible and open-minded and quickly communicated with each other and myself to find a resolution that would be best for the student. This was a complicated issue since the degree was already awarded, but all 3 of these staff were student-centered in their thinking and decisions and collaborated to resolve the issue in a matter of just a few days. From the student's perspective, there was no issue at all and they received their endorsement promptly due to this team's hard work and flexibility."

From: Leah Ott, Associate Director, Advising

"A guest speaker sent me a strange formatted presentation which caused me to ask IT to meet me in the classroom prior to his arrival so I could make sure the visuals and sound worked. Jesse and Steve came as requested, helped me work through the tech issues which gave me the confidence my speaker could use his presentation without problems. This service in and of itself was outstanding but to my surprise, one of these young men came back into the classroom, sat down as the speaker began to insure that all worked well. After about 10 minutes into the presentation, IT left but this act of follow through coupled with their positive attitude epitomizes, to me, service excellence."

From: Michael Krause, Assistant Professor Hospitality Management/Kendall

"Pamela is a student at NLU that moved from California to Illinois to attend NLU. She did not have a lap top and was using the Computer Lab at the Chicago campus for coursework. She could not set up her Direct Deposit without a lap top, how could she get her refund. Emily Heitzman from THRIVE and Omar De La Torres Venegas from IT were essential in helping Pamela get a Lap Top through the THRIVE program. Soco Romero walked her through how to set up the Direct Deposit on the computer in the Student Finance office. Soco took it a step further and made sure the refund was process once the Direct deposit was set up. Thank you Soco for your EXCELLENT customer service to help Pamela. The coordination between the departments to help this student to get the tools needed to be successful at NLU was amazing."

From: Janell Buscemi, Student Finance Rep - Tampa campus