The Centralia College Foundation has selected Kelly Erickson and Rachel Bryant-Anderson to receive the 2024 Exceptional Faculty Awards.
They were chosen for their commitment to and excellence in their subject areas, and participation in campus activities, Centralia College stated in a news release.
Both will be formally honored at the Centralia College Night of Celebration on June 20.
Tickets are available online at www.centralia.edu/foundation.
Below is information about the two faculty members provided by Centralia College.
Kelly Erickson
Erickson started teaching writing classes at Centralia College in 2013 part-time. She was eventually hired full-time and earned tenure in 2021. She got involved in the campus Writing Center almost immediately upon starting at the college and now serves as the Writing Center coordinator. The Writing Center provides free writing help to all students and hosts several online workshops each quarter to help students master the skills needed for academic writing.
“I love working with students and seeing all of the dedication that they bring to the learning experience,” Erickson said. “I also love witnessing that moment when they realize all of their hard work has allowed them to achieve a goal or develop a new skill.”
Her favorite classes to teach are composition one and two and writing in the workplace. In addition to her work in the Writing Center, she serves on Centralia College’s Instructional Council and on a tenure committee. She is chair of the English department.
Rachel Bryant-Anderson
Rachel Bryant-Anderson intended to go into social work before she took a position as a teaching assistant in graduate school. It was there she discovered her love of teaching and changed her focus to education. She began teaching sociology classes at Centralia College in 2019. She was hired full-time in 2022 and is currently going through the tenure process.
“One thing that’s special about this campus is the relationships,” Bryant-Anderson said. “Because of the size and culture, I’m able to get to know faculty and staff from across the campus in a way that I’ve never experienced elsewhere. I feel confident that this community will give me guidance and help when I need it, and I know that when I have a student who needs something, we’ll come together as a team to get that need met.”
Since starting at Centralia College, Bryant-Anderson has launched several new sociology classes and helped develop the bachelor’s degree in behavioral health care. She serves on the campus’ Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Council and Instructional Council, and is co-chair of the Sustainability Committee.
