President's College Champion Awards
Congratulations to our 2025 College Champion Honorees
Burning Bright Award - Erika Bowers, Professor, Accounting
Burning Bright Award - NUANCE: Neurodiverse Unique Autistic Students in College Education, ACCESS Center
Burning Bright Award - Tiffany Kuo, Professor, Music
Torch Bearer Award - Erica Ledezma, Project/Program Coordinator, WIN Program
Torch Bearer Award - Family Science Festival Planning Team, Natural Sciences
Eternal Flame Award - Madelyn Arballo, Vice President, School of Continuing Education
About the Awards
The College Champion Award recognizes any employee, department, or committee for dedication
to one or more of the college’s core values (Integrity, Diversity, Community Building,
Student Focus, Lifelong Learning, and Positive Spirit). Examples include but are not
limited to:
- Performing at a level above and beyond normal job requirements
- Demonstrating an exceptional ability to foster collaboration, communication, and cooperation
among colleagues
- Contributing to a program or event that showcases Mt. SAC in the Region, State, or
Country
- Developing a new program or event that positively impacts students or the college
community
Award Categories
Burning Bright -Recognizing impact on the campus community.
Torch Bearer -Recognizing impact beyond the campus community.
Eternal Flame -Recognizing lifetime achievement.
Any Mt. San Antonio College full-time or part-time employee may nominate any other
Mt. SAC full-time or part-time employee for a College Champion Award. Part-time employees
include permanent staff and adjunct faculty. Employees who have received awards from
other campus groups may be nominated again for the College Champion Award.
Nominations are open in June and winners are announced in August.
The award winners will receive a $500 dollar award included in their paychecks, an
invitation to breakfast with the president on the morning of the Fall Opening Meeting,
a unique commemorative trophy, and recognition by the Board of Trustees.Awardees’
names will be featured on the VOICES website and the campus marquee on Grand and Temple.
Recipients
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Burning Bright Award
Burning Bright Award – Recognizing impact on the campus community.
- 2025: Erika Bowers, Professor, Accounting
NUANCE: Neurodiverse Unique Autistic Students in College Education, ACCESS Center
Tiffany Kuo, Professor, Music
- 2024: Title V Grants Team
Linda Rogus, Professor/Department Chair, Aeronautics
2023: Adrienne Price, Director, Grants
Bruce Rogers, Director of Choral Activities, Music Department
- 2022: Derek Dokter, Professor of Business Management, Business Division
- 2022: Custodian Is, Custodial Services, Facilities Planning & Management
- 2021: Pedro Suarez, Business Analyst, Information Technology
- 2020: Faculty Center for Learning Technology (Eva Figueroa, Hugo Aguilera, Michelle Newhart,
Carol Impara, and Catherine McKee) & Hugo Aguilera, Library & Learning Computer Resources
- 2019: Zak Gallegos, Coordinator, Construction Projects, Facilities Planning and Management
Ned Weidner, Professor, English
- 2018: Chisa Uyeki, Librarian
- 2017: Lee Jones, Lead IT Support Technician
- 2016: John Lewallen, Graphic Design Coordinator, Marketing and Communication
- 2015: Margaret Teske, Meghan Chen and Don Sciore
- 2014: Chaz Perea, Professor, Horticulture
- 2013: Elmer Rodriguez, Counselor, Counseling and Guidance
- 2012: Jim Gau, Professor, Computer Information Systems
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Torch Bearer Award
Torch Bearer Award – Recognizing impact beyond the campus community.
- 2025: Erica Ledezma, Project/Program Coordinator, WIN Program
Family Science Festival Planning Team, Natural Sciences
- 2024: Steven Valdes, Professor, Accounting
- 2023: High School Outreach, Student Services
Off-Campus Highschool, School of Continuing Education
- 2022: Sabeena Soni, Administrative Specialist, Education for Older Adults & Adults with Disabilities,
School of Continuing Education
- 2021: Regina Martinez, Professor of Business Management; Accounting & Management Co-Chair
- 2020: Daniel Cantrell, Professor of Communication; Director of Debate, Mt. SAC Forensics Team; Chair of
the Communication Department
- 2019: Assessment Questionnaire Leadership Team and the SSSPAC (Chuong Tran, Maria Tsai, David Beydler, Evelyn Hill-Enriquez, Ned Weidner, Michelle Dougherty, Dianne Rowley, Nicomedes Martinez, Beverly Heasley, Francisco Dorame, Patricia Maestro, Naomi Avila, Elizabeth Casian, Theodros Kidane, Michael Harper, Hansel Alvarez, Michelle Sampat, Deborah Rivers, and Margie Whalen)
- 2018: Melissa Berkley, Television Production Specialist
- 2017: Don Potter and Interpreters, Deaf & Hard of Hearing Services
- 2016: Bruce Nixon, Professor/Director, Psychiatric Technician Program
- 2015: K.C. Kranz, Coordinator, Health and Fitness
- 2014: Paul Mercier, Professor, Information Technology
- 2013: James Stone, Professor, Political Science
- 2012: Laura Martinez,Secretary, Professional & Organizational Development
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Eternal Flame Award
Eternal Flame Award – Recognizing lifetime achievement.
- 2025: Madelyn Arballo, Vice President, School of Continuing Education
- 2024: Maria Torres, Administrative Specialist III, Nursing Program
- 2023: Hong Guo, Professor, Library Science
- 2022: Mika Klein, Senior Facilities Planner, Facilities Planning and Management
- 2021: The Health Services Team
- 2020: Craig Petersen, Professor of Environmental and Biological Sciences
Founder and Director of the Mt. SAC Wildlife Sanctuary
- 2019: Sue Long, Dean of Arts Emeritus
- 2018: Debbie Cavion, Associate Dean/Associate Athletics Director, Kinesiology, Athletics and Dance
- 2017: Doug Todd, Professor, Kinesiology & Athletics and Cross Country and Track & Field Head Coach
- 2016: Liesel Reinhart, Professor, Communication
- 2015: Cindy Shannon, Professor, Biology
- 2014: Nicole Blean, Professor, Humanities & Social Sciences
- 2013: Ron Kamaka, Project Manager, Kinesiology
- 2012: Carol Webster, Teaching & Learning Technology Specialist
