Amy Fitzjarrald Named NASPA Outstanding New Professional
DSAES News
July 21, 2022
Amy Fitzjarrald, Program Coordinator for Retention & Student Success in Student Housing & Residential Life, has received the 2016 National Association of Student Personal Administrator (NASPA) IV-E Outstanding New Professional Award. This annual award is presented to a student affairs professional with no more than 3 years’ experience in each NASPA region. Award recipients are recognized for their active involvement in NASPA and/or other professional organizations, innovative or creative programming efforts that address the needs of students at his or her institution and outstanding service to his or her institution.
As a member of NASPA, Amy serves on the Excellence Awards Selection Committee, Knowledge Community Publication Committee and is a reviewer for the NASPA Journal About Women in Higher Education (NPGS Board). She served on the Dungy Leadership Institute Planning Committee in 2013 at Iowa State University and was a former NASPA Undergraduate Fellow Program (NUFP) mentor.
Students and colleagues who nominated Amy commented on her devotion to student success and her commitment to spreading awareness about important topics:
“Amy is well known on our camps and is well liked. She is looked up to by everyone and people only have good things to say about her. She is what I call a rarity. People like her come once in a lifetime and you will not meet another kind soul like Amy. She has a personal drive to better herself and those around her. Her positive mentality is contagious and I believe that is one of the many things that makes her such a successful advisor.”
“Amy has worked with many different groups of students to promote social awareness, diversity, leadership and the student affairs profession. She has acted as an instructor and facilitator for courses and conferences with a leadership theme; through these experiences she has inspired students to find their way to lead on campus. Amy is very passionate about helping underrepresented students make Illinois State University their home.”
“One of the many reasons why I admire Amy is the way she makes an effort to create safe spaces for victims of sexual assault. Amy informed us the she went through a 40-hour rape counselor training in the town of Bloomington-Normal, Illinois. As members of housing, we often see students who have been victims of sexual assault and Amy trained our team on how to connect them to resources on campus and within the Bloomington-Normal community. On campus, student groups have asked Amy to speak at their events that talk about sexual assault because they know that Amy is genuinely passionate about raising awareness.”
Fitzjarrald was formally recognized during the NASPA Annual Conference, which took place March 12-15, 2017 in San Antonio, TX.
“We are proud of the work that Amy does every day for our students and department; it is very nice to see her recognized,” remarked Don Yackley, Executive Director for Student Housing and Residential Life.
Join us in congratulating Amy Fitzjarrald on receiving the 2016 NASPA IV-E Outstanding New Professional Award.
About NASPA
NASPA is the leading association for the advancement, health, and sustainability of the student affairs profession. The organization’s work provides high-quality professional development, advocacy, and research for 13,000 members in all 50 states, 25 countries, and 8 U.S. territories.