Give your colleagues a “High Five” for things such as excellent customer service, “saving my bacon” and going above and beyond.

High Fives are easy to give — simply click “Give a High Five” and fill out the form for a faculty or staff member only. Your message will be delivered straight to the recipient's inbox, and they will be acknowledged weekly in Campus News.

Continue below to read about how your colleagues are going above and beyond to help the campus community.

(Note: Campus News edited comments only for misspellings and missing or incomplete words. They appear mostly as written for each employee.)

Works Above and Beyond

Brian Alley, Accounting Services
Brian went above and beyond by personally going to Fed Ex to pick up staff payroll to ensure our staff would have their checks to pick up on Dec. 31.

Adriana Etchart Knutsen, University Marketing and Communications
Adriana has elevated our semester catalog quality and accessibility. Our members often comment on these improvements. She works quickly and is sensitive to our aesthetic and programmatic expectations. These projects are always time sensitive, with many edits and revisions. Thanks to her, we have met deadlines each semester.

Laura Ibarra, Chicano and Latin American Studies
Thanks for always being so helpful with everything the students and faculty throw your way. From organizing student events with just a couple of weeks' notice to learning all the different procedures to process travel reimbursements, you always do it with the best attitude and care.

Laura Ibarra, Chicano and Latin American Studies
Laura is the cornerstone of our department. I have seen her go above and beyond to help students, our faculty, and other staff. She is always willing to help someone find the answers they need and guide them through complicated processes. Thank you, Laura.

Mikaela Valencia, Department of Criminology
Thank you, Mikaela, for all that you do.

Teira Wilson, Digital Accessibility Specialist
Teira's work is always first-class, and she promptly completes projects and is sensitive to deadlines. The service she provides at the university is a great asset.

SAEC Holiday Party Planning Subcommittee
Kudos to the Staff Assembly Executive Committee's Holiday Party Planning Subcommittee for their incredible effort in organizing such a memorable event. Your attention to detail and creativity truly made the celebration special for all campus employees. Thank you for your hard work and dedication in bringing joy to our holiday season. The Holiday Party Planning Subcommittee was co-led by Sabrina Fierros and Raquel Delgado and included members Mychue Vang, Olivia Garrett, Myrna Pacheco, Audrey Munoz, and Gina Tamez. Special thanks to the additional SAEC members who helped set up, worked during, and cleaned up after the event.

Provides Excellent Customer Service

Trisha Brown, Payroll
Trisha is a great resource and a pleasure to get information from. Whenever I ask a question, she will answer it completely with screenshots and directions to online resources. I never feel dumb or like an inconvenience for asking for help. I really appreciated the support and couldn't ask for better payroll support! Thank you, Trisha.

Laura Gribben, Office of Faculty Affairs
Laura is an incredible asset to the campus community. She is consistently helpful and takes great care in providing clear, detailed explanations when addressing questions related to the Faculty Affairs process.

Mike White, Facilities Department
Huge shoutout to Mike and the entire HVAC team for their hard work in fixing our thermostat. Thanks to your efforts, our department is finally comfortable, and we truly appreciate all the time and energy you put into resolving the issue. Your dedication to keeping our workplace in top shape does not go unnoticed, and we’re all very grateful for the positive impact you’ve had on our daily comfort. Thank you again for your outstanding work.

Modeled Principles of Community

Andrew Esquerra, Kremen School of Education and Human Development
Andrew, you are a true asset to this campus as someone who is always kind to those around you. You helped me on a day when I was running around doing the seemingly impossible by myself, and you stopped to help on your own time. Thank you for helping me take down and break down materials at the end of a Friday afternoon. I cannot thank you enough for showing up to help a fellow colleague.

Sarah Kern, Technology Services
Sarah continues to be Accountable in delivering excellent and timely communication and insight on projects and tasks. Her follow-through and detail orientated work behavior is greatly appreciated. Thank you, Sarah.

Deborah Reba, Police Department
On numerous occasions, Deborah has stepped up to show kindness to others, sought out collaborative efforts with people that would be considered her subordinates for greater success, and seeks out clear communication between all parties while remaining accountable to the duties of her position.