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

Ginny Barnes and Kat Koziar, Library – Research Services
I recently attended an in-person workshop, “Digital Declutter: Organizing Your Digital Life”, hosted by Librarians Kat Koziar and Ginny Barnes on managing data storage. It was an excellent experience. The presenters did a great job breaking complex concepts into clear, actionable strategies that can be applied immediately to both personal and work-related data storage. I especially appreciated the real-world examples (including many data storage offenses I have been committing myself) and hands-on demonstrations, which made the material engaging and easy to understand. I walked away feeling inspired, with valuable insights and practical tools to improve how I manage and organize data, and I set my sights on decluttering certain areas of my storage right away! Thank you to everyone involved for delivering such a well-executed and valuable tutorial. Looking forward to more sessions like this!

Syreeta Martinez, Lyles College of Engineering Dean's Office
Syreeta has been my "go to" for my team's travel and training, as well as getting things into my personnel file. This year, I have had a number of events for my teams that have needed coordination through state-side funding, and she has been a huge help. The process has improved greatly over previous years on the paperwork side. In addition, I was up for review this year and gladly put many, many documents into my personnel file in very short order. Thank you for your hard work, Syreeta! I am a busy gal and so are you. Thanks for working with me to make things happen.

Provides Excellent Customer Service

Santos Pena, Kennel Bookstore
Santos is being recognized for providing excellent customer service in supporting the Ed.D. program with ordering regalia. He was responsive and detail-oriented, ensuring the process was smooth and completed accurately and on time. His professionalism and willingness to assist during a busy season made a meaningful difference for our program and candidates. On behalf of the department, we thank you, Santos, for your outstanding support and commitment to service excellence.

Kimberly Self, Undergraduate Admissions
Around the middle of the lunch hour, I contacted Kimberly via chat with regards to a student who was interested in returning to Fresno State and had questions regarding courses taken in Mexico. I then walked the student to the Joyal building and asked for Kimberly or someone else who could help this student. To my surprise, she stepped out into the admissions lobby to meet with us directly. It was truly refreshing to see her pause her lunch break to assist the student. Her willingness to do so reflects outstanding customer service and a strong commitment to supporting our students. Thank you, Kimberly!

Modeled Principles of Community

Arantes Armendariz, Library - Research Services
Arantes is an exemplary librarian. He provides clear and accessible ways for students to connect with him. He demonstrates a genuine enthusiasm for research and a strong commitment to supporting students and colleagues. He consistently brings a positive attitude and welcoming presence to his work. Fresno State is fortunate to have Arantes as part of its team.

Morgan Britter, Science and Mathematics, Dean's Office
Morgan consistently advances Fresno State’s Principles of Community with her daily actions and leadership, including how she respects and includes others and holds herself accountable. She creates a welcoming space where diverse perspectives are valued, models integrity in decision-making, and fosters open and constructive dialogue. Her creative and collaborative approach strengthens trust among staff and students in our college and beyond. We are so fortunate to have Morgan in our college and university community. She emanates creativity and a can-do spirit that reflects with everyone she works with and with all projects she leads.

Azucena Gutierrez, Academic Resources
Azucena absolutely deserves a High-Five. When I reached out about an Office of Institutional Effectiveness budget question, she was, as always, incredibly approachable and helpful, and immediately shifted into problem-solving mode. She didn’t just give a quick answer and move on. She sat with me and worked collaboratively to explore options. It’s such a gift to have someone who consistently shows up with that kind of teamwork in such a friendly manner. Thank you, Azucena, for being you!