FSU’s annual Phenomenal Woman ceremony honoring female students, faculty and staff considered exceptional by their peers took place in the forum on March 7.
The ceremony and award are named after the poem “Phenomenal Woman” by Dr. Maya Angelou. A recording of Angelou reading the poem was played following the introduction.
Associate Dean of Students David Baldwin hosted the ceremony, assisted by Coordinator of Student Services Michelle Yestrepsky.
“It’s my favorite event of the year,” Baldwin said.
The winner of the award was Director of Student Involvement and Leadership Development Claire Ostrander. She was nominated by SGA Administrative Assistant Nikki Curley and SILD Administrative Assistant Jill Hayward.
“I first met Claire when I was a first-year student at FSU and she was the advisor of the Student Union Activities Board, of which I was a member,” the first section of her nomination read. “I always heard people singing her praises, but wasn’t able to fully experience the effect she had as an advisor until I became a part of the executive board. … When something felt overwhelming, Claire was always able to break apart the pieces to make a daunting task seem more reasonable. I remember one of my friends saying that, after every meeting with Claire, she felt empowered and re-energized.”
The nomination statement also noted how hard-working Claire is and that many students choose to stay in contact with her long after graduation for her advice.
Ostrander said, “I was very honored to be nominated, especially this year. There’s been so much change in my life, personally, with having my second child and taking on a new role in the office with new staff. It validates when you’re feeling your worst that you’re still doing good work and that people can see that. I was very excited to win the award. Jill and Nikki, who nominated me, care very deeply about working together and the product that we put out.”
Susan Nicholl, executive director of the MetroWest Visitor’s Bureau, gave the keynote address.
Nicholl spoke about Scottish family crests and mottos. Some examples she gave were “Stand fast,” “Keep the faith” and “Push through difficulty.” She then jokingly lamented that the motto of her mother’s family is “If I can.”
“That’s the wimpiest motto ever,” she said. “There’s no determination there. … What I want to talk about is what determination is, and if I have it – which I’m going to claim that I do – how has it gotten me anywhere?”
Nicholl said that determination was not about single-mindedly pursuing a goal, but was instead about looking at each step in a journey and “saying, ‘Yes, I’m going to go forward with this step,’ or ‘Actually, I’m going to go this way.’”
She emphasized the importance of taking initiative, saying the common denominator in every job she held was “that I showed up … I was somebody who showed up to a meeting. I was somebody who dialed into a conference call. I was somebody who said, ‘Yeah, I’ll come to that meeting and we’ll figure out where it goes from there.’”
Ostrander said, “It was a very nice experience to be a part of the ceremony, especially if you heard all those other nomination letters. There were some great people and I’m very excited that everyone gets recognized. And not just a topical ‘You do great things.’ There were some really, really heartfelt nominations. Even more than winning, that meant a lot to me.”
Ostrander had been nominated in the past, but this year was “her time,” Baldwin said.
“It’s a great ceremony,” Ostrander said. “I think it’s a great way to get together as a community.”
[Editor’s Note: Nominees Brittany Cormier and Shayna Yacyshyn are members of The Gatepost editorial board.]
Phenomenal Woman
Nominees:
Margaret “Peg” Charbonnier
Executive Assistant
Brittany Cormier
Pelham Pals Mentor
Wet Feet Retreat Leader
Associate Editor of The Gatepost
Wendy Davis
Career Services and Employer
Relations Office Manager
Sandra Dickie
Health Center Nurse Practitioner
Catherine Dignam
Associate Professor of chemistry
April Facchini
Transportation Services Coordinator
May Hara
Assistant Professor of education
Valerie Hytholt
Centers of Early Childhood
Education Director
Susan Lanzillo
Director of Financial Aid
Pheobe Lin
Assistant Professor of psychology
Taylor Loesch
Resident Assistant
SGA Senate Chair
Patricia Lynne
Professor of English
Bailey McLernon
Supplemental Instruction Leader
Claire Ostrander
Director of Student Involvement
and Leadership Development
Sarah Pilkenton
Chair of chemistry and food science
Irene Porro
McAuliffe Center Director
Robin Robinson
Director of Education Technology
and Support
Claudia Springer
Associate Professor of English
Patricia Sanchez-Connally
Assistant Professor of sociology
Collectively-nominated student workers in the Dean’s Office:
Mary Ellen Thibault
Administrative Assistant of
Undergraduate Admissions
Rachel Trant
Assistant Vice President of
Finance and Business Services
Shayna Yacyshyn
Generation One Mentor
Design Editor of The Gatepost
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