Two women at Front Range Community College have been named to the American Association of Women in Community Colleges (AAWCC) 40 Under 40 list.
The honorees are Gwen Garrison, conference services coordinator at the Larimer Campus, and Christy Gomez, chair of the Mathematics Department at the Boulder County Campus.
Gwen Garrison
Garrison is president-elect of AAWCC’s Rocky Mountain Chapter. In 2015 she volunteered with the #Education2Education project that raised more than $4,000 to assist school-age students in earthquake-devastated Nepal.
“Gwen believes in the community college mission of open access and, more importantly, access with success for all learners,” her nomination read. “Gwen passionately advocates for students and collaborates with her colleagues to create an environment conducive to student success and completion. She encourages and supports professional development opportunities for women and empowers her colleagues to grow professionally and to assume leadership roles to support the mission and vision of the college.”
Christy Gomez
Gomez received an FRCC President’s Innovation Grant to implement “Fast Track” intensive mathematics review sessions before the start of a semester. The pilot demonstrated that a significant number of Fast Track students were able to skip developmental mathematics courses, and algebra pass rates increased. She also collaborated with University of Colorado to start a Learning Assistant program, and the joint project has been funded by the National Science Foundation Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship program.
“Christy has demonstrated that she is a talented teacher, departmental administrator, and innovator who unceasingly works to enhance student success,” her nomination read.
Garrison and Gomez were honored this week at the AAWCC’s annual awards ceremony in Chicago during the annual conference of the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC).
AAWCC is a national organization that champions women and maximizes their potential through a commitment to equity and educational and professional development. It is the largest affiliated council of the AACC.
About Front Range Community College
FRCC offers nearly 100 degree and certificate programs from locations in Boulder County, Larimer County, Westminster, and Brighton, and online.
FRCC is a member of the Colorado Community College System (CCCS), the state’s largest system of higher education, with 13 colleges across Colorado serving more than 151,000 students annually. CCCS is a vital statewide pathway to individual achievement and economic vitality. Further, CCCS institutions provide an accessible, responsive learning environment that facilitates the achievement of educational, professional, and personal goals by our students and other members of our communities, and each fosters an atmosphere that embraces academic excellence, diversity, and innovation.
