October 2024 Osprey Ovation Recipients

Name: Cailin Mondo
Core Values: Integrity; Collaboration; Diversity, Equity and Inclusion; Sustainability; Courage
Reason: Cailin has been so helpful as we update majors for the new dental hygiene program!


Name: Nadean Friesen
Core Values: Integrity; Collaboration; Diversity, Equity and Inclusion; Sustainability; Courage
Reason: No matter how busy Nadean is, she will help in any way she can!!


Name: Kristen Morales
Core Values: Integrity; Collaboration; Diversity, Equity and Inclusion; Sustainability; Courage
Reason: Kristen is positive and wonderful to work with. Even when my requests come in by the minute, she takes care of them right away! I appreciate her so much!

I have the amazing opportunity to coordinate with Kristen Morales on a regular basis. When she took on her current role she had a lot to learn on the scheduling side, and she jumped in with both feet and learned so quickly and so thoroughly that it opened up some new doors for streamlining tasks. She has become such an expert with scheduling and 25Live and it has been impressive how she did so with so much ease. Even with the switch from RogueNet to Jenzabar I can’t express enough how seamless things appear from the user standpoint. Kristen always has such a positive and helpful demeanor, is willing to listen and hear your needs, and determine the best path forward, and is so efficient in doing so. I can’t express enough how much I appreciate Kristen and all of the things she does that benefit so many of us. She is such a valuable asset to RCC and deserves so much recognition and respect! She is a stellar example of the RCC Core Values.


Name: Tamara Adams
Core Values: Collaboration; Courage
Reason: I’d like to recognize Tamara for her outstanding support during Fall Kickoff. Although she’s new to the facilities team, she went above and beyond to assist me when I missed entering some crucial work orders. Tamara took the initiative to make phone calls and help me navigate the situation, even though she was still learning the process. Her quick thinking and willingness to step in made a huge impact. Thank you, Tamara! 


Name: Rob Blevens
Core Values: Collaboration; Courage
Reason: I’d like to give a big shoutout to Rob for his incredible assistance during Fall Kickoff. Rob is always my go-to guy for all events. He always ensures everything is clean, presentable and on time. His dedication, attention to detail, and reliability were crucial in making sure everything ran smoothly and looked great.


Name: Andrew Huston
Core Values: Integrity; Collaboration
Reason: Thank you, Andrew, for your quick response and support during a technical malfunction at the RWC Fall Kickoff. When we encountered a last-minute technical issue, you jumped in and stayed on the phone with us the entire time. You quickly accessed the system remotely and worked to troubleshoot the problem. Your dedication and focus were crucial in getting us back on track and minimizing the disruption. Your calm, solution-driven approach under pressure made all the difference, and I’m incredibly grateful for your help. I even received feedback from audience members saying, “the day ran super smoothly,” so know that your efforts kept the audience unaware of our technical issues.


Name: Dillon Ayers
Core Values: Integrity; Collaboration
Reason: Thank you, Dillon, for your quick response and support during a technical malfunction at the RWC Fall Kickoff. When we encountered a last-minute technical issue, you arrived in person and kept a calm, steady presence. Your help navigating alternatives while the problem was being worked on ensured that we stayed on track. Your ability to remain composed and provide guidance under pressure made a huge impact, and I am super grateful for your support.


Name: Jaci Jones, Sally Snyder, Alesha Farrar, Paula Brooks, Kassy Brooks, Regi Paul, Lucia Bartscher and Karla Benitez-Sanchez
Core Values: Collaboration; Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Reason: A huge thank you to my “Lunch Leaders” team – Jaci, Sally, Alesha, Paula, Kassy, Regi, Lucia and Karla! They did an outstanding job supporting the Fall Kickoff lunches by taking charge of setup, cleanup and coordinating catering deliveries at each location. They kept me in the loop and took pictures since I couldn’t be at all the campuses. What makes their efforts even more remarkable is that they work in student-facing areas, and as we all know, the week before fall term is one of the busiest times of the year. Despite the high workload, they created an enjoyable lunch experience for their colleagues while still managing to meet student needs. Their dedication, multitasking and teamwork made all the difference! Thank you all so much!!!


Name: Rose Passione
Core Values: Collaboration; Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Reason: Rose was willing to listen to a student’s needs and help me find a simple solution to meet them. Her act of kindness and her continued willingness to problem-solve has made a difference.


Name: TRC Facilities Team
Core Values: Integrity; Collaboration; Sustainability
Reason: The TRC Facilities team did a great job helping the Admissions & Recruitment team with setting up for their regional college fair. We had over 500 high school students in attendance and they did a great job helping set up, keeping trash cans and walkways maintained, and helped with cleanup and putting classrooms back to their original setting. Our team hosts multiple events throughout the year and Admissions & Recruitment could NOT do this without the amazing help of all of our facilities staff! It’s not just for this event, this includes open houses, registration events, college fairs, etc. We appreciate all you do to keep the college running! Thank you!


Name: TRIO EOC & ETS
Core Values: Integrity; Collaboration; Diversity, Equity and Inclusion 
Reason: The Admissions & Recruitment team are so grateful for the participation and collaboration from TRIO EOC & ETS. These folks are always smiling, positive and ready to jump in and help with a college event. Whether it’s staffing a college event or bringing high school students, we can always count on our TRIO partners! We are so grateful for your partnership and always enjoy collaborating and working with you! Thank you for all you do to help students and support Admissions & Recruitment!


Name: Marketing team – Liz Butler, Sara Bristol, Ryanne Mitchell
Core Values: Integrity; Collaboration
Reason: The Marketing team is always instrumental to the Admissions & Recruitment team and the college events we host. We could not have done this without everyone’s help! Liz helped us get the website up to date and is always so fast and effective! Sara made sure the social media posts were active and frequent which helped us drive attention to the event and she was able to take photos at the event! Ryanne was able to print a mass amount of campus maps for the event with short notice. We are always so grateful for the Marketing team and all their efforts to make our events successful! Thank you from all of us in Admissions & Recruitment!


Name: Steven Swift
Core Values: Collaboration; Diversity, Equity and Inclusion; Courage
Reason: Steven Swift opened up the TRC art lab for the PNACAC regional college fair. The Admissions & Recruitment team was in a predicament because most of the classrooms were full on campus, limiting the availability for students to attend the college fair. Steven offered up the art lab and not only let us use the space for the college fair, but he also participated in the scavenger hunt and shared about augmented reality and the Design & Digital Media program with students at this event. He expressed his gratitude to Admissions & Recruitment for sharing about his program with prospective students and helping his classes fill up! This isn’t just because Admissions & Recruitment, but it’s also because Steven is always willing to participate in our campus events and engage with new students. It’s a great partnership and the results demonstrate the success of this partnership! Because he said yes and was open to collaborating, he was able to talk to over 400 high school students about his program at this event.  Thank you Steven for always collaborating with our team! We appreciate you!


Name: Analisa Gifford
Core Values: Integrity; Collaboration; Diversity, Equity and Inclusion; Sustainability; Courage
Reason: Analisa has been invaluable with the transition to Jenzabar and helping iron out road bumps along the way. She goes above and beyond and is always actively helpful even when she is busy with other activities. I greatly appreciate all her hard work, quick responses, and communicative nature!


Name: Natalie Coppedge
Core Values: Integrity; Collaboration; Diversity, Equity and Inclusion; Sustainability; Courage
Reason: Natalie is an incredible asset to the college. I cannot express enough how much I appreciate her quick responses and thoroughness every time I have questions. She is always so kind, helpful and reliable!


Name: Roz Mendoza, Frankie Everett
Core Values: Integrity; Collaboration; Diversity, Equity and Inclusion; Sustainability; Courage
Reason: Roz is always so friendly and helpful. She is quick to respond and goes above and beyond to help staff and students alike. I always know that even if she can’t necessarily help with something specific she can help me get in touch with the person who can or can help investigate an issue from a different angle so we can resolve it ASAP. Roz is a huge asset to the college and I am so appreciative of all her efforts and her collaborative personality!

Frankie is friendly, supportive, open, collaborative, communicative and always has her team’s back in every way possible. She is here for our students even if she herself doesn’t directly work with them regularly. She goes above and beyond even in working with students to have her team’s back when they need her. She will go to bat for what is right, even if it isn’t necessarily what others may agree with and that absolutely takes a level of courage and integrity that not all managers have but all managers absolutely should have. Frankie is the boss we all deserve and RCC is so lucky to have her!


Name: Jaden Mikits, Juan Riviera and Jennifer Burkes
Core Values: Collaboration; Diversity, Equity and Inclusion 
Reason: Yesterday, I went to the library, I would like to congratulate everyone who helped me on their excellent performance. Especially Jaden Mikits, Juan Riviera and Jennifer Burkes. I felt so welcomed by the team and the attention given by Jaden was very important for the success of my trip to the library. Even though I don’t speak English or Spanish, I was able to express what I needed. I am very happy to have been helped by people who convey trust. Congratulations to everyone!  It is attitudes like this that keep us going even further to achieve my goal. 🏆  


Name: Raelyn Horton
Core Values: Integrity; Collaboration; Diversity, Equity and Inclusion; Sustainability; Courage
Reason: 🌟 Congratulations to Raelyn! 🌟  Raelyn has been excelling in not one, not two, but three part-time positions at the college! Her dedication, hard work and unwavering commitment truly shine across all her roles. Recently, she graciously stepped into the Career Connected Learning Navigator role and has absolutely been crushing it! 👏 Raelyn has been instrumental in building strong relationships with local high schools, where both students and staff enjoy working with her. Her incredible ability to juggle multiple responsibilities—while ensuring our college remains aligned with grant requirements—is inspiring.  Building on the strong foundation set by the previous CCLN, Julie Toledo (thank you, Julie!), Raelyn recently submitted the end-of-year grant report, and the feedback was nothing short of glowing. The Career Connected Learning Coordinator from ODE (Oregon Department of Education) had this to say about the report: “Can I just say WOW! Thank you for a thorough and informative final report. I wish all of them had been as focused on accurate and detailed assessment of their work. Many have been great, but yours is stupendous.” We’re so lucky to have Raelyn as part of our team. Please join us in celebrating her remarkable achievements and dedication! 🥳🎉


Name: Martin Christensen
Core Values: Collaboration
Reason: The RCC Nursing Programs hosted the OCAP regional meeting Friday, Oct. 18. This is the first time we have hosted the meeting. I was very nervous and wanted our program and school to shine.  Marty was assigned to set up the Zoom for the meeting. He arrived early and had the whole system set up well before the meeting started. Not only was he uber-prepared, he helped ease my nerves (no easy feat) and stayed well after the meeting started to make sure all went well. I am so thankful we have such a well-organized, well-outfitted and thoughtful team to work with. Marty went out of his way to make RCC and the nursing program shine and I am so grateful for his professionalism and skill. Yeah Team Osprey!


Name: Robert DeKorte
Core Values: Collaboration
Reason: On Friday 10/18/24, the Nursing Programs hosted the OCAP regional meeting. Robert was assigned to help set up our Zoom for the meeting and he helped Marty set up what we needed to make our meeting go without a hitch. He worked efficiently and came prepared to ensure success for our meeting. I was very nervous since OCAP had never held a meeting this far south.  I can say the meeting was flawless—no problems and a great deal of that success goes to Robert and Marty and the great job they did I am thankful we are on the same team! Go Team Osprey!


Name: Don Tiller
Core Values: Collaboration
Reason: I was starting a lecture today and the podium monitors were acting wonky—I tried to correct, however I was worried I would make matters worse. I called IT help line and Don quickly came to the classroom and corrected the problem in under 5 minutes and my class was able to get started on time. I was very grateful that the response was so quick and successful.  Thank you for always having our back.