What began as a "bold idea" in the 2017 Bold Ideas Challenge has now come to fruition in Fresno State's newest employee recognition program — High Five. Click here to read about how the program began.

High Fives are easy to give — simply go to the High Five website on the Organizational Excellence webpage, click “Give a High Five” and fill out the form to send kudos to anyone on campus. Your message will be delivered straight to their inbox, and recipients will be acknowledged weekly in Campus News.

Read below 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.)

Goes Above & Beyond

Cathleen Legarretta, Human Resources
I am very thankful for her support and guidance. She was so helpful with all my questions and concerns during my medical leave. There is such a sense of care and compassion when working with her. Having her help made a huge difference in preparing for my leave. Thank you, Cathy, for making a difficult time so much easier.

Judy Gagnebin, Division of Research and Graduate Studies - Sponsored Programs
Judy went above and beyond to help us ensure our RFP was submitted on time. The students, staff, and families of our Education Talent Search Program greatly appreciate her continued support and dedication. Thank you, Judy!

Virginia Mathew, Facilities Management
Virginia volunteered to be the host for the Administrative Academy Posse to provide a virtual after-hours socializing space to keep us connected. She worked with other members of the group to come up with weekly themes or games and is always supportive and cheerful.

Virginia Mathew, Facilities Management
Virgie took a group of people from this year's Administrative Academy and created a cohesive, connected, and now, intertwined group. She used her own time and resources to create the Wellness Posse. This Posse met for an hour once a month where we shared our concerns, our successes, and learned more about the people that we work with across the campus. She is a shining example of going Above and Beyond to make Fresno State an incredible place to work.

Virginia Mathew, Facilities Management
Virginia created the Administrative Academy Wellness Posse. She did this because she kept hearing co-workers share their struggles during COVID. Virginia set up monthly Zoom meetings with those involved in Admin Academy to get together, get to know each other, and give each other support/advice/company. I truly believe she made a positive impact in her co-workers’ lives during the pandemic.

Provides Excellent Customer Service

Jeff McVey, Technology Services
This High Five is long overdue. Jeff is responsive and timely. He is knowledgeable and always figures out the best solution (sometimes the desired end result is not always clear). I very much appreciate his helpful nature, especially his patience. Thank you, Jeff!

Robert Rothschild, Facilities Management
Robert Rothschild, Abe Tellez, and David Dennis repainted our offices last weekend. In the lead-up to the project, Robert was extremely conscientious about making sure all the details were taken care of and I was kept fully informed. Not only did they do a fantastic job painting, but they were also extremely friendly and took great care of our furniture and the other items they had to work around. When it was all over, they came back to make sure everything was okay, and Robert even had someone come out and vacuum and clean the carpets in two of the offices that had been completely cleared out for the painting. Abe, David and Robert are great, and we really appreciate their excellent customer service ... not to mention our freshly painted office!

Sheri Osborn, Psychology Department
A big thank you to Sheri! She was quick to answer a request for a document for a student. This response and location of the documentation provided the support needed for the student to obtain their educational goals. Thank you, Sheri, for all your help.