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Three Rio Salado College staff are recipients of the 2017 John & Suanne Roueche Excellence Awards honoring exceptional teaching and leadership in community college education.
The awards are given each year by the League for Innovation in the Community College to celebrate outstanding contributions and leadership by community college faculty and staff.
Felix, Kemp and Shantz were nominated for the award by Rio Salado College President Chris Bustamante, who singled out their commitment to excellence in putting students first.
The three were honored at a ceremony during the League’s annual conference in San Francisco March 12-15, 2017.

"I am so fortunate to work at an institution that fosters faculty innovation. Over the years, I have been able to experiment with various instructional methods and intervention strategies to help our students succeed. Not all of them have worked as well as I had planned, but the result has been a rich and rewarding journey in which I have been able to collaborate with my colleagues throughout the college to transform the learning experience for our students. In the process, I have learned far more than I have taught."
Rick Kemp
"I am fortunate to have the opportunity to work for Rio Salado College, where a collaborative spirit allows me to directly impact the success of students through a variety of partnerships. I am able to both work with industry partners to provide a high demand skilled workforce, as well as connect with high schools in helping local high school students attain a cost-effective, jump start into college. I am truly inspired and motivated through offering courses and programs that help students achieve their goals."
Dr. Jennifer Shantz
"I am honored to receive the John and Suanne Roueche Excellence Award and to represent Rio Salado College. Throughout both my educational journey and my higher education career, I have had passionate educators and mentors who not only taught me, but also believed in me and inspired me to continually learn and to always strive for excellence. It is my daily hope to do the same for my students. As Faculty Chair of English, my responsibility is not just to teach students, but also to guide, encourage, and believe in them."
The League established the John & Suanne Roueche Excellence Awards in 2012. For more information visit https://league.org/excellence.

The League established the John & Suanne Roueche Excellence Awards in 2012. For more information visit https://league.org/excellence.