Genesee Community College Announces February Employee and Student of the Month

Related Media

A photograph of Michelle Peck (left), President Stuart Steiner (middle) and Colleen McKay (right).

BATAVIA, NY (02/25/2010)(readMedia)-- Genesee Community College is pleased to announce Michelle Peck has been named Employee of the Month for February. Michelle is a highly organized, hard working secretary in the Athletics office who is always willing to help others – and does so with a smile on her face. Throughout the renovations to the Athletics office and the gymnasium, Michelle has shown great patience and worked diligently to make it as smooth a transition as possible for everyone involved. She is supportive in her daily dealings with faculty, staff, coaches, and students. She is dependable and continually looks for opportunities to upgrade her own skills through workshops and training.

A native of Warsaw, NY Michelle has worked for the College for over two years. As the secretary for Health, Physical Education and Athletics she works for Rebecca Dziekan, director of Health and Physical Education and Margaret Sisson, director of Intercollegiate Athletics. Her duties include working with the budgets for both departments, answering the telephone, directing students, preparing payroll authorizations, book orders, proposals, work orders, and minutes. She also assists faculty, coaches, students, and administration with anything they need.

Michelle earned an associate's degree in General Studies from Genesee and previously worked for University Eye Specialists as a receptionist. She is married to her husband Matthew and they live with their two dogs Tearaz and Tully and their two cats Zelda and Arwen. In her spare time she enjoys cheering for her favorite sports team the Buffalo Sabres. Her hobbies include cross-stitching, watching movies, photography and reading.

# # #

Genesee Community College is pleased to announce Colleen McKay has been named Student of the Month for February. Colleen will graduate in May from Genesee after earning a degree in Entrepreneurship. She is a valued member of the women's softball team and has been nominated twice by her teachers for Athlete of the Week honors. She is an active member of the GCCA and she is a natural leader to her peers. She has maintained an outstanding grand point average in her first three semesters at Genesee and has been named to the NJCAA Academic All American Team and is one of Genesee's nominees this year for the SUNY Chancellor's Award for Student Excellence.

Colleen is from Woodstock, Ontario, Canada and is a graduate of Saint Mary's Catholic High School. She was attracted to Genesee to play on the softball team. "The coaching staff has a lot of knowledge and experience in pitching, which is what I was interested in," Colleen noted. "I came to GCC to grow and learn as a pitcher and an overall athlete."

She currently runs her own business back home in Canada. Your Farm Market (YFM), a seasonal farmers market that she has been running and growing since she was eight years old. She enjoys her work with YFM because she gets to work outdoors, she is her own boss, she interacts constantly with her customers, and she enjoys giving her community the opportunity to eat healthy, local food that is great for their wellbeing. When she graduates in May, she plans to return home to grow and develop YFM even more. She hopes to possibly add an on-site bakery, an educational component, and an on-farm location. Your Farm Market is also one of two finalists for the Niche Market Award at the Oxford County Federation of Agriculture's Annual Agricultural Awards of Excellence. The winner will be announced in April of this year.

Colleen is 20 years old and she resides with her parents Don and Faith, her brothers, Trevor and Tyler and sisters Lisa, Katie and Laura. She was recently honored with being named to the Western Region's Women's hockey team for the Empire State Games in Lake Placid, February 19-21, 2010.

"I love the home-town feel at GCC. The faculty care about the students. Most faculty remember their students even after they have left their class and make a point to say hello in the halls," Colleen said. "The class sizes are small, which allows students to get to know their fellow students and their professors. It is a close-knit, friendly community at GCC and I am proud to be a part of it."

# # #