College of The Albemarle (COA) is pleased to announce Dawn Allen as its nomination for the North Carolina Community College System’s (NCCCS) 2023 Staff of the Year Award. Allen’s nomination was announced recently during the COA Employee Recognition Event.
Allen has worked for the College of The Albemarle since 2014, serving in various roles. She has served as a federal work-study, student aid assistant, mentor, and library public services specialist. She currently serves as the coordinator of student life and leadership. She is also a COA Alum, receiving an Associate of Arts in 2016. Allen also holds a bachelor’s degree in education from Elizabeth City State University.
“I was extremely honored to be nominated for the 2023 North Carolina Community College System Staff Person of the Year,” said Allen. “I know that every other nominee for this award is capable, if not more, of winning this award. I sincerely thank my family for supporting me through long hours at work, but they know how much I love my job. I love you all to the moon and back. I take great pleasure in working with and getting to know such amazing students here at College of The Albemarle. My students teach me many things every day, and they are going to make our future bright. I would also love to give a big shout-out to my North Carolina Comprehensive Community College Student Government Association (N4CSGA) family; I love you all. I would also like to thank all my co-workers, all of you make every day just one big happy party. In conclusion, I would like to end with one of my favorite quotes by Maya Angelou, ‘I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.’ Remember to always smile and speak to everyone; that gesture may seem small but can be huge to the person you are speaking to.”
“We are proud to have Mrs. Allen represent COA as our nomination for the honor of NCCCS Staff of the Year,” said Dr. Jack Bagwell, COA President. “She is committed to providing excellent opportunities for our students to enjoy life on our campuses while also providing them leadership and service opportunities. She has several next steps in the NCCCS Staff of the Year process. We support her throughout the process and wish her the best. We look forward to the announcement of the 2023 honorees.”
The NCCCS Staff of the Year Award was established in 2001 and is sponsored by BB&T. Each community college in North Carolina is allowed one nomination per year. Those nominated must complete a rigorous application process and an interview with a panel established by NCCCS. There is only one recipient of the state-level award each year. According to nccommunitycolleges.edu, “The award recipient will receive a cash prize of $8,000, a certificate and plaque. In addition, the foundation of the institution where the recipient is employed will receive a cash prize of $2,000.”
For information, please contact Tammy W. Sawyer, COA Director of Communications and Marketing, at [email protected] or 252.335.0821 ext. 2420.