Susana Castellanos-Gaona, a multitalented Counselor Aide who works in the GWC Counseling Department, is our February 2010 Employee of the Month, and one busy woman. With work hours of 10 am-7 pm, Susie is there to help the department’s services transition into the evening hours to cover student needs. She enjoys doing a lot to help the Dean, who scared her in her initial interview but apparently isn’t so scary any more. That must be true, because she remarks that her favorite part of her job is her co-workers and work environment – and the way they cross-train and work as a team.
On campus, you will also find Susie involved in new student orientations and running stats for the department. Her favorite part of her work is actually the stats – maybe because she already has a degree in Math and Liberal Studies from CSU Fullerton. Initially, she tried her hand at teaching in the capacity of a long-term sub, but veered away when she realized she preferred office work. She was familiar with presentations, college fairs, and preview days from her work in University outreach at Fullerton, so when she saw the GWC job announcement and applied, it was only a few months before she was called, and has been a productive part of our campus for almost 5 years. As a classified employee representative to the College Budget and Planning Committee and the District’s Budget
Advisory Committee, she provides detailed reports after every meeting and her work has generated many positive comments from classified staff for her efforts. You will also find her as a member of the Chicano/Latino College Conference planning committee (including serving as committee co-chair).
Susie was born in Mexico and came to this country when she was 7, gaining citizenship in 2000. She is the oldest of three siblings, with a younger brother and sister. Not content with her status quo, she is pursuing an MBA at National University with a focus in Accountancy, and hopes to finish in 18 months. She certainly is a woman to reckon with in ‘bean counting’. When her husband was serving in Iraq, she saved his paychecks and actually bought a house to surprise him with on his return home! He will retire next year and be able to spend a lot more time with Susie and their 3 year old son.
Also serving as the Family Readiness Group Leader (FRG Leader) for her husband’s unit in the Army, Susie is the Liaison between the Commander and the families. As the main contact for families in need, she sees that they have the information and tools to be ready when the soldier is on deployment status (this is entirely volunteer, although she still had to go through background checks and formal training and can even get fired by the Army.)
Talking with Susie, it is clear that she is a very competent young woman with a vision that extends beyond what currently exists, a drive for excellence and a quest for growth. One of the comments on a recommendation form read, “She is the hardest working employee I have ever met. She has a lot of job responsibilities and has added on more since we lost our hourly employees. She has never said “no” to taking on more. She is on the front line assisting students and goes up and beyond in making sure that they get the help that they need. She is all about the students, they are her priority! Students ask for her by name. She has been a major factor in retaining students that might have gone elsewhere. She has such a positive caring attitude.”
Undoubtedly, Susie, you more than deserve this recognition. Congratulations and thank you from all of us!
