William R. Goins Spirit of Diversity Award

Spirit of Diversity Award Winner

Aaron Schneider - Director of Career Coaching at the South Bend/Elkhart campus

COMMUNITY PARTNER SPIRIT OF DIVERSITY AWARD

RecycleForce

ALUMNI SPIRIT OF DIVERSITY AWARD 

Chaka Coleman, Director of Legislative Affairs, Panganelli Law Group
Ivy Tech Indianapolis - Associate of Arts and Sciences, Paralegal Studies 
Nominated by Ivy Tech Hamilton County 

PRESIDENT’S SPIRIT OF DIVERSITY AWARD WINNERS

Dr. Octavia Thorns-Jackson - Vice Chancellor Academic Affairs at the Anderson campus

Octavia epitomizes sustained commitment to the values of diversity, equity, and belonging. Through her tireless efforts, she champions diversity initiatives, advocates for equitable practices, and creates spaces where everyone feels valued and heard. Being an educator first, Octavia has been called upon to engage with audiences on various topics connected to the Black experience in the United States. She firmly believes in the power education has to change circumstances, broaden minds, and uplift communities.

Robert Soto - Professor of Sociology at the Bloomington campus

Robert demonstrates an unwavering commitment to the values of diversity, equity, and belonging, going above and beyond the expectations of his job to foster an inclusive environment on our campus and beyond. His dedication to diversity efforts is evident in his involvement in numerous initiatives, projects, and speaking engagements, both on campus and statewide. For example, Robert's presentation on "The Duality of Identity" sparked important conversations about the complexities of identity in today's society. His passion, dedication, and innovative approach make him a true champion of diversity.

Graciela Spencer - Bilingual Student Success Coach at the Columbus campus

Graciela consistently keeps students at the forefront of everything she does. She is the primary club advisor for the Latino Organization for Volunteers in Education (LOVE). Thanks to Graciela’s leadership, LOVE is the largest and most active student group on the campus. She was recently appointed to serve on the Columbus Human Rights Commission and has been nominated for the 2024 Women to Watch publication through local media. Graciela has made it her personal mission to work with community partners to secure funds for students, specifically Latino students who may not qualify for other types of funding. Graciela's impact is felt in the lives she touches and the futures she helps shape.

Leah Davis - Disability Support Advisor at the Evansville campus

Leah remains deeply committed to raising awareness for students who need disability support. Recently, she assessed our popular Gloria’s Garden and identified ways to make it more accessible. Through these actions, Leah inspires others to think more about accessibility needs. She also supports the legacy and future of the diversity council and diversity champions on campus. Additionally, Leah has been instrumental in registering with The Human Library, an international organization aimed to address people's prejudices by helping them to talk to those they would not normally meet.

Megan Rondot - Director of Disability Support Services at the Fort Wayne campus

Megan finds great joy in seeing her students navigate the college environment successfully, and she’s committed to making sure every student feels a sense of belonging. A few of her accomplishments include creating Perception Is Perfection (PIP), whose mission is dedicated to promoting disability and mental health awareness and providing support within our college community. Megan also facilitated the installation of a campus sensory room. Additionally, she’s served as a diversity council member since its inception in 2021.

Amanda Babic - Director of Student Life, Development, and Leadership at the Hamilton County campus

Amanda embodies diversity, equity and belonging by welcoming all students and creating an environment in which they can advocate for themselves, encourage each other, and seek supportive resources. Her continuous efforts to promote student development, campus diversity initiatives, and inclusive campus cultures, has had a positive impact on the Hamilton County campus and community.

Juan Buitrón - Assistant Vice Chancellor Enrollment Services at the Indianapolis campus

Since the beginning of Juan’s tenure with Ivy Tech, he has helped host Somos Ivy Tech, a Latino student recruitment day held in partnership with the Indiana Latino Institute. This year, Juan led a team to host the first ever Somos Ivy Tech focused on high school students. With his leadership, more than 300 Latino students from 13 different high schools spent a day learning about Ivy Tech. For many of them, this was their first time on a college campus. Juan’s leadership in organizing, planning, and working across the College provides access to Ivy Tech for a diverse group of students.

Linda Ferries - Communications Specialist at the Kokomo campus

Linda tells the stories of the campus and our students. Stories that celebrate successes, convey the mission and spirit of the campus, and the growth in our students’ lives. Her work helps articulate the needs of our service area, as well as the initiatives so vital to addressing those community challenges. Linda has produced hundreds of articles that drive the Kokomo service area’s work of equity and belonging forward, but one strong example of her storytelling strength includes her annual work on the “Doing the Dream” celebration, a program celebrating the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Linda’s work not only celebrates our work but inspires us to do more.

Annette Watters - Office Assistant - Enrollment and Student Success at the Lafayette campus

Annette inspires people on campus and off. She’s an active community member who promotes belonging in everything she does and goes above and beyond the routine expectations of her role with kindness, humility, wisdom, and inclusivity. Before joining Ivy Tech, Annette served as the diversity outreach project manager for another university, and she is the former president of the board of directors at the Hanna Community Center. She brings best practices from those two organizations with her to strengthen diversity, equity, and belonging here.

Andie La Combe - Instructor of Healthcare Specialist at the Lake County campus

Andie advocates for diversity, equity, and belonging (DEB) in both professional and personal spheres. Ask any student who has been in her class, or any colleague on our faculty council about the intentional way she creates a nurturing meaningful classroom connection built on empathy, respect, and shared values of inclusion from day one. Andie inspires others to take action and create positive change in and out of the classroom. We are fortunate to have someone who shows up authentically, passionately and with an open mind and heart to move our DEB efforts forward. Andie’s dedication to DEB is not just a professional endeavor but a deeply held personal commitment rooted in her values of empathy, justice, and compassion.

Holly Nichols - Academic Advisor at the Lawrenceburg campus

Holly loves working with students as they develop their diverse gifts and talents. As a member of the Hispanic Community Advisory Committee (HCAC), Holly has worked with the Hispanic community in Southeastern Indiana to provide services related to health, family, education, and community integration. Through HCAC, Holly raises funds to support a scholarship for high school students to continue their education and give back to the Hispanic community through their continued learning. As a member of the Ivy Tech team, Holly helps all students realize they belong at Ivy Tech, that they have a unique and valuable purpose at Ivy Tech, and they can celebrate their diverse origins here.

Raven Hudson - Director of Student Success at the Madison campus

Raven embraces the principles of diversity, equity, and belonging through her many roles on campus. Through her oversight of Ivy Cares, Raven ensures that students facing challenges—from food insecurity to mental health issues—receive support, breaking down barriers that often disproportionately affect marginalized students. She creates inclusive spaces where students from diverse backgrounds feel welcomed and valued. In just one example, she helped post notes around campus with messages such as, “You belong! We believe in you!” These notes are still posted around campus and act as a reminder that anyone is welcome here. Raven is a beacon of light at the Madison campus and in the Madison community.

Satyavathi Dronamraju - Lead Mathematical Sciences Faculty, Marion STEM Lead at the Marion campus

Satya demonstrates a constant passion for learning and a commitment to promoting a culture of diversity and inclusion. She has inspired countless students, faculty, and staff to embrace the values of equity and excellence. Satya’s loyalty, enthusiasm, and generosity of spirit have created a domino effect of positivity, making Ivy Tech a more vibrant and inclusive community. She embodies a true champion for education and social progress and her contributions will continue to have a lasting impact on the campus and in our larger community. 

Sarah Haisley - Associate Professor, Department Chair, Elementary Education at the Muncie campus

Sarah demonstrates a sustained commitment to diversity, equity, and belonging by actively fostering an inclusive environment, advocating for underrepresented voices, and implementing initiatives to promote diversity and equity within her classes as well as the organizations she leads. She continuously strives to create a culture where everyone feels valued and included, regardless of their background or identity. Her commitment is evident not only in her day-to-day actions but also in her willingness to invest time and resources into creating sustainable change and driving meaningful impact not only on our campus, but in our community.

Crystal England - Nursing & Health Science Advisor at the Richmond campus

Crystal's tireless commitment and dedication to creating an inclusive environment is evident in her work. She consistently goes above and beyond her advisor role to ensure that all students, regardless of background, feel valued, supported, and included in our college community. Crystal continuously seeks new opportunities to break down barriers and create a more inclusive campus community, and her unwavering commitment to fostering diversity and inclusion embodies the spirit of this award.

Wynobie Williams - Director of Student Life, Development, and Leadership at the Sellersburg campus

From the very beginning, Wynobie has been a major, positive influence on diversity initiatives. He's one of the charter members of the diversity committee and actively leads or participates in numerous diversity organizations and events throughout the year. A couple of his accomplishments include bringing the first African American performance of “The Norm of Greatness: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s I Have a Dream Speech and Letters” by international performer Daryl VanLeer to campus, as well as collaborating with the diversity committee to host the movie viewing of “Where Hope Grows” with movie star David DeSanctis. These are just a few of Wynobie's contributions throughout the years.

Aaron Schneider - Director of Career Coaching at the South Bend/Elkhart campus

Aaron’s multifaceted contributions to promoting diversity, equity, and belonging surpass the normal expectations of his role. His proactive involvement in a wide range of initiatives, from speaking engagements to community outreach efforts, reflects his genuine passion for creating inclusive environments where all individuals feel valued and respected.

Scott Powell - Professor of Social Sciences, Program Chair at the Terre Haute campus

Scott serves as a true diversity champion and is always willing to go above and beyond. He is an active member of the diversity committee and attends many events in support. Scott hosts lectures and invites others to his class to gain knowledge from what he teaches. He shares his knowledge of cultural differences, supports international education week, and is always collaborating across the College to ensure that quality programming is presented to faculty, staff, and students.

April Gabbert-Strang - Director of Student Life at the Valparaiso campus

April is a dedicated champion of diversity, fostering an inclusive environment for all students. She serves in several community and campus organizations including Community Engaged Alliance of Indiana, The Heroic Project, Porter County Rotaract, SAGE (Sexuality and Gender Equality), and Black Student Union. April creates educational and celebratory displays, events, and programming for significant observances like Black History Month, Dia de Los Muertos, International Women’s Day, and Pride Month. Her efforts significantly contribute to a more inclusive, aware, and supportive community.

• Christine Brandel - Professor of English at the Bloomington campus. 
• Andrea Jefferson - Education Program Chair and Associate Professor of Education at the Evansville campus.
• Linda Przbysz - Academic Advisor/Disability from our Richmond Campus,
• Eleanor Moss - Librarian from the Bloomington Campus

Community Partner

Bowen Family Foundation

Alumni

Joseph Pitman – 2020 grad, Terre Haute – Associate of Applied Science in Imaging Sciences

• Claudia Saenz – Assistant Director Financial Aid, Valparaiso
• Ren’a Wagner – Director of Diversity, Muncie Campus

Community Partner

Lilly

• Wendy Chinn - Financial Aid Advisor and Diversity Lead, Evansville Campus
• Robin Harrington - Assistant Professor/Program Chair, Human Services, Sellersburg Campus
• Wendy Railing - Director of Financial Aid, South Bend/Elkhart Campus