SU admissions counselor July Above and Beyond honoree
SU System President-Chancellor Ray Belton, SU Board of Supervisors Chair Ann A. Smith, June 2017 "Above and Beyond” Award recipient Jocha Gordon, and SU Board of Supervisors Vice Chair Rev. Donald R. Henry.
2017 "Above and Beyond" Award during the SU Board of Supervisors regular monthly meeting, July 21, on the Baton Rouge campus.
Alexandria Nelson, one of three students who nominated Gordon, said, "She is wonderful at what she does and works hard everyday. She was my admissions counselor and made me feel like I was at home from the very start of it all. She is part of the reason I decided to attend Southern and was one of the first staff members to make me feel like I was at home."
This month's Above and Beyond Award winner has been employed at SU since 2014. A SU alumna, Gordon graduated from SUBR in December 2012 with a bachelor of arts in history, and in 2016 received a master of arts in education from the University of Phoenix.
"Miss Gordon is a well-respected employee of Southern University and A&M College. She is always smiling and willing to help each student that comes her way. She is a representation of what the ideal Southern University employee should be like," said Adagio
Coleman, who also submitted a nomination for Gordon.
The other student who nominated Gordon, Angelle Rich, introduced the honoree during the Board recognition ceremony.
"I love my alma mater with all my heart, my mother worked in the SU Law Library back in the 1990's as the administrative assistant while finishing Nursing School. I knew from a child that this is where I would one day be. It brings me such joy to be able to assist the parents and students through the admissions process. A matter of a kind face and smile makes all the difference in the world with our prospective students," said Gordon.
The Baton Rouge native also is involved in several initiatives with the community.
"One of my most prize accomplishments was starting the Brenda Faye Gordon Memorial Nursing Scholarship last year in honor of my mother. I was able to giveaway a $1400 Scholarship to a SU nursing student, and I look forward to presenting another one this Christmas,” shared Gordon.
The Above and Beyond Award was established to help inspire and motivate SU employees to reach their maximum performance. One award is presented at the SU Board of Supervisors meetings each month.
"This award honors outstanding achievements in the workplace, exceptional contributions toward efficiency and effectiveness of operations, special efforts in promoting workforce excellence, or outstanding service to the University community and constituents," said SU Board Chair Ann A. Smith.
SU System President-Chancellor Ray L. Belton; SU Board of Supervisors Chair Ann A. Smith; SUBR College of Nursing and Allied Health Dean Janet S. Rami; Cheryl Taylor, chairperson, Graduate Nursing Programs, and director, Office of Nursing Research; Luria Young, interim vice president for academic affairs and provost; Curman Gaines, SU Board Member and Chair, academic affairs committee; and Rev. Donald R. Henry, Vice Chair, SU Board of Supervisors. Today, the SU Board of Supervisors also recognized the SU Baton Rouge School of Nursing and professor Cheryl Taylor, chairperson, Graduate Nursing Programs, and director, Office of Nursing Research, for receiving 2017 HBCU Awards.
For the second time in two years, the SUBR College of Nursing and Allied Health claimed a HBCU Award for "Best Nursing Program," and Taylor won the "Female Faculty Member of the Year," honor during an awards dinner, July 14, 2017, at the Gallup Building in Washington, D.C.
The SUBR College of Nursing and Allied Health enjoys a long list of awards and achievements including being honored as the "2017 Nursing School of the Year, Graduate Degree Programs," by the Louisiana State Nurses Association (LSNA) and Louisiana Nurses Foundation. This is the fourth time that Southern's nursing program was chosen as Nursing School/Program of the Year by the LSNA. Southern was also selected as Nursing School of the Year in 2010, 2012, and 2015.
"We decided in the late 1980s that our School would be nationally recognized for its success in producing highly qualified nurses. To operationalize our vision we employed faculty who were leaders in the healthcare community. SUBR alumni who cheered us on and advised us to maintain our high standards supported us. The numerous state and national awards and recognitions we have received over the last several years stand as testimony to the potential of our university when we employ proven academic leadership principles over politics. We accepted the HBCU Award on behalf of all of our faculty, staff, and students and all SUBR alumni,” Rami added.
Taylor was in attendance at the awards ceremony and accepted the nursing program award, and her individual recognition.
No stranger to the spotlight, Taylor, the Dr. Jewel and Dr. James Prestage Endowed Professor at SUBR, was recently selected as an ambassador for the Friends of the National Institute of Nursing Research (FNINR).
"I accepted this national honor at the ceremony in Washington D.C. in memory of the late Dr. Jewel L. Prestage who graduated from Southern University in 1951, and became the first African-American woman in the United States to earn a PhD in political science from the University of Iowa. She was a master teacher, mentor, and one of many good teachers dedicated to the mission of HBCUs. I am only one of many precious HBCU 'Jewels' who live and love to teach and learn. I share this award with dedicated teachers and staff throughout the SU System. Thank you Southern University for being here for all of us. Thank you Dr. Jewel L. Prestage for making Southern University the place of your education and then your life’s work," shared Taylor.
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