John Jerome, Chair of Math at Grant, congratulates Rachael Millings on her FA Award for Outstanding Mentoring. (photo by Cynthia Eaton)

For the decade that she has been at the college, faculty not only at the Eastern Campus but across the college have benefitted from the mentorship of Rachael Millings.

The intelligence of her contributions and her tireless energy in representing the Eastern Campus—in simply doing the work that needs to be done—are why I nominated Rachael and why she was selected by the FA awards committee.

As coordinator of the Eastern Academic Advising and Mentoring Center for the past five years, Rachael has been mentoring and guiding not only our students but also our colleagues in the world of academic advisement. This is no small task, given how often curricula change as well as all of the technology we use for advisement changes. Faculty and students alike are grateful to have Rachael just an arm’s length or a quick email away because she just always knows what needs to be done.

One of the descriptors for this award category is “Evidence of going above and beyond to make a positive impact for students or peers must be demonstrated in areas including but not limited to the following: ...Programs that support professional growth.” Two such programs where Rachael stands out is her work in the JEDI Institute and as co-chair of the college Equity and Inclusion Council (EIC).

Given the enormous concern the institution is facing right now with student retention, the work being done in the JEDI Institute and EIC are mission critical. While JEDI and EIC do focus on DEI issues, the work being advanced in each group functions to benefit every single student at the college. Rachael’s leadership and mentorship in both groups has been nothing short of impressive.

The best mentors lead by example. For JEDI, Rachael dedicated hours to reviewing her own math course data and noticed that the students who perform best tend to be white and male. So when Rachael talks to people about how she came to a point where she had to pause and ask herself, “Have I, of all people, been replicating harmful stratification in my own classes?” we all listen. And the American Federation of Teachers featured Rachael as well as other SCCC faculty in a story about JEDI for their national newsletter.

For the EIC, Rachael serves as co-chair with Christina Vargas. This group was created by President Bonahue to address the Strategic Plan’s Institutional Goal 4 - Equity and Social Justice. Since we meet on two or three Fridays each month, Rachael has been incredibly busy, working alongside Christina to guide our three subcommittees.

Another descriptor for this award category is “Leadership roles assisting others in building their skills or increasing familiarity with the college environment,” and undoubtedly an area central to the work we do is to have a voice in curriculum. Rachael is currently chair of the Eastern Congress Curriculum Committee and thus serves as a member of the Executive Committee (EC) and as the campus rep to the College Curriculum Committee. Rachael works diligently each month to guide our EC as we review, prioritize and forward all proposals, resolutions and recommendations to the full Congress. Rachael’s work is thorough and diligent, and she is consistently a voice of reason and careful perspective taking.

Everyone at the Eastern Campus knows that when Rachael stands to present each and every curriculum proposal—whether it’s for an individual course or an entire curriculum being revised—we will be hearing her careful, measured assessment of the situation. When there’s a controversial proposal, Rachael is simply remarkable in how she pauses, thinks for a moment and then offers the best possible response that is honest, direct and fair to both the proposer and the questioner.

Kindly join the FA in sharing a hearty congratulations to this very deserving member who shares so much with colleagues in the spirit of collaboration and mentorship.