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

Read about how the program began. 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

Mayra Aceves, Lyles College of Engineering
Mayra worked above and beyond to have a successful Chicano/Latino Commencement Celebration. I couldn't have done registration, sash pick up and the day of the ceremony without all of her help and knowledge. She learned registration quickly and is an expert in filtering data and organization.

Becky Brown, University Development
When the director of development position at the College of Arts and Humanities became vacant, Becky stepped in as their development liaison. She went above and beyond her position responsibilities to support the college and its donors. Her partnership ensured a seamless transition for the new DOD, which Becky is helping to onboard. Thank you, Becky.

Cory Cowan, Office of Institutional Effectiveness
Cory's dedication to her work is truly impressive, even when she is feeling unwell. We value her commitment, dependability, and eagerness to exceed expectations not only for us colleagues but most importantly for our OIE clients. Her remarkable work ethic is truly an asset to our office. Thank you, Cory.

Celeste DeMonde, OIE/Undergraduate Studies
We would like to express our sincere gratitude for your invaluable contribution to the OIE AVP search committee. Your organizational skills and dedication to the search process were exceptional, especially considering your regular responsibilities. We truly appreciate all the time and effort you invested in this search. Thank you for your hard work.

Chris Hernandez, Office of Institutional Effectiveness
We would like to express our gratitude to Chris for his contributions to the OIE AVP search committee. He went above and beyond in his efforts and worked closely with the team. We greatly appreciate his valuable insights and expertise. Thank you, Chris.

Sergio LaPorta, Office of Institutional Effectiveness/CAH
In August 2022, Sergio assumed the role of interim director of the Office of Institutional Effectiveness, in addition to other campus leadership and administrative responsibilities. His knowledge and experience as an administrator have certainly been put to good use this academic year. In his stint as director of OIE, he has experienced a multitude of challenges and joys. We are very grateful for his time, effort, and dedication to OIE as well as his empathetic leadership style over this past academic year. Sergio, thank you so much.

Marissa Bourbon, Department of Aerospace Studies, Air Force ROTC
Marissa led the planning and execution of the department's annual Dining Out and Awards ceremony on May 4 at the Clovis Veterans Memorial District. She coordinated department faculty with 17 national service organizations for the nominations, selections, and acquisition of 32 awards and scholarships. She also supervised the cadet planning processes, oversaw funding and procurement, and coordinated 15 special guest invites for national and local service organizations. The success of this event highlighted the great accomplishments of students and the Aerospace Studies Department, and could not have happened without Marissa's motivation and efforts.

Kyle Lyman, Office of Institutional Effectiveness
I truly appreciate Kyle's unwavering support on all OIE projects. When faced with urgent project requests and tight deadlines, I can confidently rely on him to get the job done. He consistently demonstrates his dedication to seeing his tasks through and actively contributes to the success of team projects. Kyle is a flexible and dependable team member who prioritizes the group's success above all else. He proves himself to be an exceptional team player and a valuable addition to our OIE family. Thank you, Kyle, for all that you do.

Eric Maul¸ College of Science and Mathematics
Eric stepped in as the development liaison when the director of development position at the College of Social Sciences became vacant. He went above and beyond his typical responsibilities to support the college and Dean Lowham. His collaborative approach depended on existing relationships the college had across campus. Eric is even helping to onboard the new DOD. Thank you, Eric.

Irene Perez, Educational Opportunity Program
Irene took charge of checking in students and setting up for the Chicano/Latino Commencement Celebration (CLCC), and I was able to count on her to make sure students got the right name card. She also stayed late to clean up and put everything away and make it organized for me once CLCC was over. Thanks Irene, you were a huge help on Saturday.

Marie Tongson-Fernandez, Office of Institutional Effectiveness
Marie was asked to provide support to us on very short notice. She stepped right up, no questions asked and did an awesome job supporting us in the Kremen School of Education and Human Development. She definitely went above and beyond and did a great job. I can't thank her enough.

Hongtao Yue, Office of Institutional Effectiveness
Hongtao made outstanding contributions to the OIE AVP search committee. His commitment, insights, and collaboration are deeply valued. Thank you, Hongtao, for your exceptional work.

Lisa Wilson, Anthropology
Thank you, Lisa, for going above and beyond.

Joe Zavala, Facilities Management
Joe has come to the Engineering West building and the restrooms have never been cleaner. Thank you, Joe.

Procurement and Support Services
Huge high five for this incredible team. They are working very hard to implement the new P2P system and they still manage to respond to inquiries and assist when needed. Thank you so much for your patience, hard work, and dedication to our campus! I appreciate you very much.

Student Involvement
Amy and her team did an amazing job this year at the graduation ceremonies. Your hard work did not go unnoticed.

Saved My Bacon

Amy Allen, Student Involvement
Over the weekend, the Upward Bound Programs hosted their annual high school senior recognition celebration at the Ruiz Ballroom. Thirty minutes before the event started, Amy supported Upward Bound Programs by providing microphones, a screen projector, and additional furniture to welcome parents and students. Thank you, Amy, for supporting Upward Bound Programs in ensuring this celebration was memorable and successful.

Svetlana Korol, Admissions and Recruitment
I just wanted to say thank you for showing me a more efficient way of slicing and dicing the daily Motimatic file. Without your help, I would still be on the first list. Your assistance was truly invaluable, and I appreciate it more than words can express. Thank you again for all your support.

Kyle Lyman, Office of Institutional Effectiveness
Thank you, Kyle, for saving my bacon.

Sandi Pugh, Financial Aid and Scholarships
Thank you, Sandi, for saving my bacon.

Provides Excellent Customer Service

Mark Plattner, Auxiliary Information Technology
Mark provides excellent customer service to our team. He is so knowledgeable and always answers all of our questions with a smile. Thank you for going above and beyond to ensure our IT needs are met.

Joshua Webster, Human Resources
Joshua has been an exceptional HR partner to Development throughout our four director of development searches. I am grateful for his guidance and the wisdom and expertise he provided to ensure successful hires. He was quick to respond to questions and offered the highest level of customer service and professionalism. He is a joy to work with, and I am grateful.

Teira Wilson, Technology Services
Teira is awesome. She is always willing to assist with accessibility issues when needed. She provides excellent customer service and is always so efficient, kind, and patient. Thank you so much for all your help. I appreciate you.

Facilities Management
Just before our commencement ceremony, the staff cleaned up the front of Kremen School of Education and Human Development, just in time for off campus visitors. Our commencement was Friday night, when we got back to the building that night there was such a mess all around our school but by Monday morning at 7 a.m. the front of our school looked great again. Thank you so much for getting everything cleaned up so quickly. It is much appreciated.

Alex Jarrell, Human Resources
Every time I ask Alex a question, she has a prompt and ready reply. She does this in a friendly, approachable and helpful manner every single time, no matter the question or when I ask. I very much appreciate her knowledge, efficiency and helpfulness. She is a definite asset to HR and to campus. Keep up the good work Alex and know that you are appreciated.

Principles of Community

Robert Rodriguez, Human Resources
Robert modeled principles of community, and went above and beyond his duty, not just with excellent customer service, but with honesty, loyalty, fairness, equity and assurance that he is there to serve faculty, staff and students. He made me feel confident and happy when I left his office. He always has an open-door policy, and respects and treats people kindly. He has an amazing smile that will charm the world. Above all, he made the Human Resources department look professional. He is truly an ambassador to campus, and an amazing gentleman.