We are pleased to announce our award winners for Employees of the Quarter and Team of the Quarter for Quarter 3, July – September 2022!
Employees of the Quarter
Wilsa Sinnok – Head Start Program Specialist, Shishmaref
“I would like to recommend that Wilsa Sinnok receive this award. She has helped our program make the big move from an older building to the new Shishmaref Head Start building. She has been acting for other Program Specialists when out, and has even stepped into our classrooms, so that classrooms in Shishmaref will not cancel. In order for her to better understand her cultural language she has taken classes through Northwest Campus with her staff. She is a leader in her community, and a role model for her staff. She ensures that she is a positive role model, and has a positive moral that helps make a positive environment. A staff member commented that she goes above and beyond on a daily basis. She gives 110% and is growing in ways that is helping her to be more confident. She is learning and growing her wings to seek answers when she has difficult questions. She encourages others to do better in their positions, and as a community member. She supports children in any way she can.
-Mary Long, nominator
Gussie Olanna – Family Advocate, Brevig Mission
“Gussie is one of our village Family Advocates based in Brevig Mission. During quarter 3 Gussie volunteered to work through the summer to ensure that our year-round classrooms (Nome and Shishmaref) still had a Family Advocate over the break. On top of her additional duties, she puts a lot of time and effort to make sure the classroom stays in operation at Brevig, helping out in classrooms, collecting paperwork, or even minor maintenance around the building. Just a few months prior, Gussie had completed her bachelor’s degree with University of Alaska Fairbanks in Child Development and Family Studies.
Another staff member says, “When needed she takes the lead in making sure that maintenance needs are addressed at her site. She works with staff to make sure all family paperwork is submitted and enters them into ChildPlus. She has a positive attitude with staff, parents, and children that she works with. She takes the initiative to make sure that she helps staff at her site to email needed paperwork in when staff are out or short staffed. She also completes site visits as needed when asked.”
-Brenda Henry, nominator
“Gussie seems to keep the local Brevig Headstart on its rails from covering for coworker in the classroom or kitchen, to trying to keep the heat on at the head start every winter with all the paper work that Advocates must complete daily, she manages to assist when she can. Family Advocates appears to be the glue that holds the facilities together in the head start buildings.”
-Winfred Olanna Jr, nominator
Louise Huffman – Family Advocate, White Mountain
“Louise is one of our village Family Advocates based in White Mountain. She has been with Kawerak for 17 years. During the 3rd quarter in 2022 Louise helped train and onboard new staff members, as well as make herself available for any questions during the onboarding process. Louise had volunteered to cover for our Nome classrooms last school year when we were short staffed, on top of her village sites. Even with a heavy workload, Louise completed her AAS degree in Early Childhood Education with University of Alaska Fairbanks in May 2022.
Another staff member says that “Louise is always available for staff when they have Family question needs. She always has a positive attitude with staff, parents, and children. She is willing to complete site visits when needed. She has ideas to try make successful parent meetings and trainings happen at our sites.”
-Brenda Henry, nominator
Team of the Quarter – Higher Education/Project Remote Staff
Niaomi Brunette, Jessica Farley, Krysta Harrison, Colleen Adams, Caitlin Auk Tozier, Pam Cushman
“2022 was a phenomenal year for our HE Department! After our 2021 program, we saw a need for our new HE Scholars to have parental/guardian buy in. For 2022, we applied and received the NSEDC OEF grant to pay for parent/guardian travel, so parents/guardians could travel to the colleges with their scholar and get a good feel for the school and the importance of supporting their scholar in their endeavor to earn their college degree. We also collaborated with NEC. Due to the ongoing outreach our CCN was doing, we had an extraordinary amount of applicants, 37, for the 2022 College Transition Program. (We had 14 students in 2021; 4 in 2020 and 2 in 2019). Our staff reached out to our educational partners to find additional funding so we didn’t leave any student out- we received additional support from NSHC, BSRHA, Sitnasuak and the BSLC. Through Project REMOTE, students received two months of internet and new computers and accessories prior to the start of the program. We provided two parent webinars, and five HE Scholar webinars were we talked about important topics, had guest speakers – including representatives from the scholars’ colleges whom joined us in breakout sessions. Students were assigned Essential Education coursework and reading from How to Survive your Freshman Year. 24 HE scholars completed the program! Jessica & Niaomi assisted Fort Lewis College scholars, Pam & Krysta took scholars to UAA and Caitlin Tozier took scholars to UAF. Our HE TEAM went above and beyond to make this program a huge Success! Please see more details in the Kawerak Board Report.
-Pamela Cushman, nominator
