Each year Skyline College recognizes individuals or groups who help Skyline College to shine in terms of its quality of programs and services and its reputation for quality. Two awards are given annually, one to a member or group of Skyline College employees and one to a member or group from the community.
College Employee Category:
Dr. William Watson is being recognized for his steadfast dedication to serving the Skyline College community. He has worked as the Director of SparkPoint using his influence to make sure students and community members are served in a way that expands access to educational opportunity. His leadership in implementing the overall vision of SparkPoint includes mobilizing partnerships to bring services to the students. This student’s first approach allows students to connect to benefits they are eligible for but may not have been able to navigate the processes to actually access them. These benefits include supplemental nutrition (food) and money. Students are also able to access scholarships that allow them to complete career technical educational programs and become connected to potential employers through the Grove Scholars Program. This allows the community to be engaged in the college and allows students to connect to community resources.
William works to scale innovative approaches to make real the promise of higher education for a better life. That collective work has been featured by the Center for Enterprise Development, Rutgers University Center for Workforce Development, MDC, Annie E. Casey Foundation (College Innovator of the Year), Community College Times, Community College Journal, the Discovery Channel’s Profiles Series, the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges (John W. Rice Diversity and Equity Award), National Center for Inquiry and Improvement, California Employment Development Department and Federal Reserve Bank of Boston.
He has a vision for social justice and equity. He is well respected by all constituents and has demonstrated an ability to work with all groups. The multiple areas of recognition and awards for William’s work and leadership demonstrated the high commitment and dedication he has made to Skyline College and its community.
He has been instrumental in bringing increased grant resources to the college to serve the students and community. He has worked with several divisions to initiate new programs supporting the value of academic excellence, connect students to employers and help them navigate toward successful completion and graduation. He implemented the financial literacy component of the center making financial literacy the central anchoring service for helping students break out of poverty.
William is tireless and is always positive and supportive, no matter how impossible the task. It is with great respect and admiration and gratitude for his contribution toward making Skyline College shine in the way it does – that William Watson be awarded this year’s Skyline Shines Award.
Community Category:
Ms. Lee Guion is being recognized for her commitment to Skyline College and its students. For over two decades, Lee has volunteered her time to students and the Skyline College respiratory therapy program in San Bruno, California. She has mentored students in every area of respiratory care, from the critical care unit to outpatient neuromuscular care. She was voted “preceptor of the year” by Skyline College students multiple times over the years. Lee has chaired the Skyline College RT Program community advisory committee for over 20 years assisting faculty, students, and RT managers in program development, CoARC accreditation, and participation in the AARC’s 2015 and beyond proposed changes to respiratory therapy education. She has served on full time and part time faculty Respiratory Therapy hiring committees, Respiratory Therapy Medical Director appointments, scholarship award processes, annual program reviews, and recently a comprehensive curriculum review and update to meet current practice standards. She works tirelessly to ensure active employer, faculty, staff, and student involvement in all aspects of the program and college events as they relate to health care.
In summary, Lee exemplifies the best qualities of a respiratory therapist and an educator. As a highly respected respiratory care practitioner within a multidisciplinary care team she helps elevate our role on par with other allied health professionals. In her personal and professional life she is a model for students just entering the field and learning the ropes and those looking ahead for creative options in an expanding and dynamic health care environment. She has been instrumental in helping the program maintain a prized reputation for producing highly qualified practitioners in the Northern California Bay Area. Lee has truly carried out Skyline College’s mission to “empower and transform a global community of learners” via her commitment to open access, success, and equity for all students. She is a star that makes Skyline College shine brightly.
Article by Dr. Regina Stanback Stroud
