Frontier Nursing University (FNU) is pleased to announce Tonya Nicholson as the faculty recipient and Kayla Turner as the staff recipient of the Fall Term Circle of Caring Award.
This award is a recognition for Frontier faculty and staff who go above and beyond everyday duties and strive to uphold FNU’s mission and Culture of Caring.
Nominations for this inaugural award were submitted anonymously by faculty, staff and students. A committee then voted on each nomination based on the following Culture of Caring characteristics: professionalism, mutual support, respect, positive communication and inclusivity.
Tonya Nicholson serves as the Associate Dean of Midwifery and Women’s Health at Frontier, using her decade of nurse-midwifery experience to aid her teaching.
The following statement was included in Tonya’s nomination:
“Tonya has twice sent me handwritten cards of encouragement regarding my son’s medical treatment that we have been going through for two years now. These unexpected notes that come in the mail are such a thoughtful gesture and really make me feel supported by her, especially since she has experienced her own child’s long recovery and all that entailed. I know that she sends notes and cards to others on a regular basis, and I’m sure they also make those individuals feel uplifted.”
Kayla Turner is the Hyden Campus Receptionist at Frontier. She answers all phone calls, processes the campus mail, completes office supply inventory and ordering, provides administrative support to faculty, and is the first face many new students see when they arrive on campus.
This statement was also submitted with Kayla’s nomination:
“Kayla has gone the extra mile to help the admissions department check in students, make name badges, etc. She also ran to the aid of the cooks when they had a kitchen fire. Kayla volunteered to use her own time, off the clock, to go purchase 50 coats for FNU to give to needy children in Hyden. She didn’t just make a quick stop at one store. She shopped around in different stores, choosing coats of quality, for the right price, and buying as many as possible so that every child on her list received a nice coat. This is not the first time I have witnessed her mutual support, respect, professionalism and inclusivity. It is an honor to work with such a responsible and helpful person.”
Tonya and Kayla will receive a framed certificate and a $50 gift card, and will be featured in various Frontier communications.
Thank you, Tonya and Kayla, for embodying the FNU spirit of community and caring.Do you know an FNU staff or faculty member that goes above and beyond? Nominate them now for the Circle of Caring Award!
Dr. Tia Brown McNair is the Vice President in the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Student Success and Executive Director for the Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation (TRHT) Campus Centers at the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) in Washington, DC. She oversees both funded projects and AAC&U’s continuing programs on equity, inclusive excellence, high-impact practices, and student success. McNair directs AAC&U’s Summer Institutes on High-Impact Practices and Student Success, and TRHT Campus Centers and serves as the project director for several AAC&U initiatives, including the development of a TRHT-focused campus climate toolkit. She is the lead author of From Equity Talk to Equity Walk: Expanding Practitioner Knowledge for Racial Justice in Higher Education (January 2020) and Becoming a Student-Ready College: A New Culture of Leadership for Student Success (July 2016 and August 2022 Second edition).