Congratulations to Amber Kinonen, Bay College's quarterly (December 2021 - February 2022) TORCH Award winner. Kinonen is the Transitional Studies Coordinator and English Instructor with the Arts and Letters Division at Bay College.  She supports the Bay College mission by her collaborative efforts and demonstrated leadership in the areas of transitional studies and general education.

 

Kinonen was nominated by one of her co-workers for her dedication and commitment to support student success and a culture of success within Bay College.  She is recognized for her work as noted in the following:

 

"She is a thoughtful and caring co-worker. She often checks in with others to see how they are doing and to see if there is anything she can do to help if she knows someone is having a difficult time. She is also very receptive to the needs of her students. Before the pandemic hit students would leave post-it notes on her door telling her what they appreciated about her. Comments like "she really cares about me" and "she is an awesome teacher" show that students are responsive to her teaching style, and feel that she is truly there for them both in and out of the classroom.."

 

"She truly understands that Bay College is here to meet the needs of students wherever they are in life. She continually demonstrates empathy for student situations that arise that can make going to school more challenging. She is often looking for creative ways to help students overcome obstacles to being successful at Bay."

 

Kinonen lives Bay College's mission (Student Success, Community Success, Culture of Success) every day as an employee and instructor.

 

The purpose of the TORCH Award is to give personal recognition to those employees on Bay College's campuses dedicated to the mission of the College because of their attitude, commitment, and dedication toward the higher education learning environment. TORCH stands for: Team Player; Outstanding Performance; Responsive to Others; Conscientious to Mission of Bay; Helpful to All. For career opportunities at Bay College, visit Bay College's website at careers.baycollege.edu.