2012 marks first year that award is given to non-faculty member
By: Ashley Higginbotham
-News Editor-
Current manager of the Access Office at STLCC-Meramec, Linda Nissenbaum was recently given the Senior Service Award, one of four awards given at each STLCC campus. The Senior Service Award is an award given to an employee who has worked for the college for over 20 years. This year Nissenbaum was the first employee who was not a faculty member to win. This year marks the 24th year that Nissenbaum has worked for the Access Office.
Nissenbaum graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia with a bachelor’s degree in education and from Webster University with a master’s degree in teaching. The first job she landed after graduating was in the Special School District in Hazelwood, Mo.
“I love helping students be who they’re meant to be,” said Nissenbaum. “and to not let disabilities stop them.”
After working in the Special School District, she worked part-time as an educational assistant at Meramec for five years before transferring to the Access Office. Over the years, Nissenbaum has become a Certified Professional Co-Active Coach and a Professional Certified Coach.
“Keeping all these skills you have to yourself doesn’t help anybody, does it?” Nissenbaum said when asked about why she does presentations.
She has done presentations for New Faculty Orientation, SSD College Nights, Regional AHEAD Conferences and National AHEAD Conferences. She is also on Meramec’s Behavioral Intervention Team and just finished her training to be a Sexual Harassment Investigator last week. This February, she will also be speaking at a Management Institute.
When Nissenbaum found out she won the award, the only word she could think of was honored.
“It’s always an honor to be selected,” Nissenbaum said. “because you want to make a difference every day.”
As for future plans, Nissenbaum will continue to be a consultant for Maryville University, Washington University and Saint Louis University. She is currently speaking on behalf of the CRPD Treaty.
“For fellow students who go overseas, this treaty will make sure that they have proper rights when they arrive there,” Nissenbaum said.
The treaty needs to be ratified by the Senate.
For now, she is “always growing and always learning,” and is “always looking for new skills.”
