Registration means long lines and late hours for the Admissions office; on this particular evening the office didn’t close until 9:00 pm. After waiting in line and processing his college entrance, a student asked for assistance in finding a late night bus schedule and Debbi Collins , Associate Registrar, noticed he didn’t have a coat. He had very little or nothing with him and Debbi, who always has something to give or help others, had an extra coat in her car which she gave him. Terry Hockenbrough had a hat and brand new package of socks to give this student. He was overwhelmed and explained that he had come up through a series of foster homes and that he received a tremendous kindness that evening over and above processing his needs to enter the school. It is uplifting to me that my coworkers look beyond immediate needs of their job completion to notice this student on one of the coldest nights we have had this winter.
Someone else reported the same event with a few more details…
Please know that I was working one cold night with a student that had been homeless, and we thought had missed the DART bus. The weather was extremely cold, and Terry Hockenbrough made sure this student had some warm socks and gloves! She also went out of her way to get the bus info and make sure he knew where the bus stop was. She is a Collin Angel!
Just when I thought it was going to be a regular day in the Cougar-hood, our front doors open and walks in the reflection of what makes Collin College outstanding: Amina El-Ashmawy. Professor El-Ashmawy brought my office-mate and me a Valentine’s treat enclosed with an appreciative thought, “Thank you for doing so much for all of us.” She definitely put the Cougar Love into Valentine’s Day. Thank you, Amina, for making Collin a special place.
Last week we needed an extra table for the student (CHIMA) group and I happened to see David Drane, from Plant Operations, walking down the hall and he quickly got another table for us so we could proceed.
I am impressed by Kent Steadmon, he works often in the bookstore at CYC. Kent is ALWAYS smiling. What a joy to go into the bookstore and have him consistently say “how can I help you”, “thank you”, and “have a great day.”
Roses are red and Collin is blue, thank God our Police Officers and custodial staff do an outstanding job for each of you. Gabby, one of the custodial staff members at CPC and Greg Stewart, one of the police officers at CPC deserve “high marks” for rushing to handle an unfortunate situation and assisting a tutor that regularly visits our campus. The tutor became very ill and had a major mishap. Officer Greg and Gabby immediately came to her rescue and handled the situation exceptionally.
During a bomb threat at Spring Creek Campus, I received a special phone call from Rannai Reeves with Collin College Police Dispatch. PR and Dispatch had been in communication many times over the course of the day, connecting media calls to PR and providing updates. When the situation began to calm down, Renee called us personally.
“I just wanted to make sure you all (in the PR office) were OK and see if you needed anything,” she said.
I replied, “Thank you, but I should be asking you that question. We are miles from the situation, and you are right in the middle of it!”
She stated that crisis situations affect so many people that she wanted to check on us.
It was remarkably considerate of Rannai to think of others as she was embroiled in a crisis, and I suspect we were not the only people she called that afternoon. Rannai deserves a big pat on the back for exercising compassion and pro-active kindness both on a daily basis and in tense situations. Thank you, Rannai!
Hi. Just wanted to let you know about a PIFF event that occurred with me recently. I had to go to SCC to the media center to have a training tape transferred to a DVD. When I arrived, I found out that because the process ran in real time, I’d need to either wait or come back down from CPC later to pick it up. As I was thinking about it, Jack Denton happened to be there and he volunteered to bring it up to CPC once it was finished since he was coming back up later. This was an extremely kind gesture on his part, as it saved me both time and fuel by making a second trip unnecessary. It was an effort on Jack’s part that made my day run much more smoothly. Little things like this that we can do for each other are what help make Collin the great place that it is. Thanks.
Picture this:
Wednesday of Spring Break– I went to lunch with a colleague because we had several things we needed to discuss. Okay, the real reason we went to lunch is that Mexican Food is my number one choice of comfort food, and although I did not particularly need comforting, I did need Mexican Food. As we exited the restaurant, we saw Professor Brandy Jumper with a large group of people at tables that had been pushed together in the outdoor courtyard of the restaurant. We walked over to say hello and learned that she had just returned from taking students to the PTK Conference and that Collin College won several amazing awards. As we said hello and looked around the group, we noticed everyone was busy working mathematics problems. As it turns out, this was a group of students who had asked if she had any time available during spring break to answer some questions and help them with their math. So– her first day back in town after spending the first part of her spring break with students on a trip for Collin College, she spends the afternoon tutoring students. I am humbled by her great attitude and her commitment to the students.
A few of us were talking about our time here with the District and learned that we have a co-worker that has been with the District for over 20 years. The District was her first job at the age of 18 and the fact that she is still here was just an amazing thing to hear and we thought it was noteworthy….. Your first job being your only job, that does not happen often! Her name is Suzie Armstrong, CHEC, Business Office. Just paying this forward because it made me smile!
RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS
I paid for someone in line at the drive thru at Chick Fila and I had my son in the car with me. The two teenage boys in the car behind us seemed shocked and surprised when they found out their meal was “free.” I drove home with a smile on my face. It was a great feeling to have randomly helped someone. And my son thought I was pretty cool, too. I have also posted the list of suggested random acts on my office door. Hopefully, it will inspire others to PIF.
I was at the grocery store and followed an elderly couple into the store. They were lightly bickering at each other and I kept running into them as I proceeded through the store (and yes, they were still bickering). Then, we wound up being at the cash register about the same time. As I was paying, I gave the cashier an extra $20 bill to apply against their grocery bill. I quickly left, so I didn’t get to see their reaction, but I left the store with a smile on my face and hoped that I made a little difference in their day.