Stephanie Brooks\u2019 unwavering dedication to student success is well-known throughout the Department of Sport Management.<\/p>\n
The academic advisor\u2019s 22 years of commitment was officially recognized at the President\u2019s Holiday Celebration on Monday, Dec. 10 when she was honoured with a President\u2019s Distinguished Staff Service Award.<\/p>\n
Her nominator Laura Cousens, Associate Professor of Sport Management, said in the nomination application that Brooks\u2019 \u201cattention to the individual needs of all students has been the backbone of student support in our department.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tears of joy ran down Brooks\u2019 cheeks as she shook President Gervan Fearon\u2019s hand and accepted the award in front of some 400 faculty and staff members.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt certainly wasn\u2019t expected,\u201d said Brooks, who was the Department of Sport Management\u2019s first and only staff member when it started in 1997. \u201cIt has been a lot of fun being with the department from inception to where it is now.\u201d<\/p>\n
Since beginning her role more than two decades ago, undergraduate enrolment in Sport Management has more than doubled to 1,000 students across all four academic years.<\/p>\n
Kirsty Spence, Chair and Associate Professor for the department, said that although Brooks’ volume of work has increased, her level of exceptional customer service has never changed.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe has met the challenge with grace and grit,\u201d said Spence. \u201cIf anything, her service-orientated demeanour is more important now than before. She loves the students and the students love her. She always meets them where they need to be met.\u201d<\/p>\n
To meet an urgent request, Brooks has quite literally met a student where they needed her \u2014 in one case meeting a student in a north St. Catharines parking lot with paperwork needed for an upcoming job interview.<\/p>\n
Brooks was one of 27 faculty and staff who were honoured at the annual holiday event. She said that she enjoys working at the University and is happy for everyone who was recognized.<\/p>\n
\u201cI love being a part of the Brock community. It\u2019s wonderful to be a part of something bigger than me,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
President Gervan Fearon addressed the crowd and thanked everyone for their dedication to the University and to student success. He said that when speaking with students and alumni, a common theme he hears is that they can identify the moment a staff or faculty member made a difference in shaping their lives.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey tell me, \u2018I didn\u2019t get a chance to tell them thanks,\u2019 or \u2018they don\u2019t know how much of an influence they were that day,\u2019\u201d said Fearon. \u201cThose small things that you do as day-to-day passing moments bring incredible joy and make a difference to students.”\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n President\u2019s Distinguished Staff Service Awards<\/strong><\/p>\n The\u00a0President\u2019s Distinguished Staff Service Award for Outstanding Contributions<\/a><\/u>\u00a0recognizes permanent staff members who have provided outstanding contributions to the working environment at Brock. This year\u2019s winners were:<\/p>\n Human Resources Distinguished Staff Service Award for Leadership<\/strong><\/p>\n Audrey Fehlow, Director of Enterprise Solutions for Information Technology Services, was honoured with the Human Resources Distinguished Staff Service Award for Leadership<\/a>, which recognizes one staff member with a proven record of leading and working collaboratively, engaging faculty and staff, building strong relationships and developing a respectful work and learning environment.<\/p>\n Quarter Century Club<\/strong><\/p>\n Several faculty and staff were recognized for their long-standing commitment to Brock University. This year, 11 employees were inducted into the Quarter Century Club, joining 237 others who have worked for Brock for 25 years:<\/p>\n 35 years of long-standing service<\/strong><\/p>\n Eleven people were recognized for 35 years of service:<\/p>\n 50 years of long-standing service<\/strong><\/p>\n Peter Barclay, Storekeeper with the Department of Earth Sciences, was recognized as the longest-serving ongoing employee in the history of the University. Barclay retired Nov. 30 after 50 years of service<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\t \n
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