Shout Outs

Koty worked so hard preparing, coordinating, and executing commencement, and it was a great success! I only got to see a small fraction of the work she did behind the scenes, but I was amazed at how well she single-handedly juggled so much. Koty, thank you for all that you do and for making spring commencement a memorable end to students' EIU journey.

Nicole, thank you for going the extra mile to help me out this morning. I appreciate you taking the time to walk me through the forms and explaining the procedure in person. You made it seamless and easy to make changes, thank you!

Thank you for your kindness and patience while assisting me with the requisition form when Banner wasn't working properly for me! I appreciate you!

Emily has been a great addition to our department. She's consistently on top of everything that our department needs and helps us meet every deadline. She is calm, cool, and collected even at the most stressful times. She always has a smile and lots of witty stories to share. I'm very happy to have Emily as a colleague!

You always seem to show up at the right time for a visit. EIU is blessed to have therapy dogs that benefit our students and staff. Thank you for sharing KOJI with so many people!

I couldn't do my job without your knowledge and help with everything RSO. Thank you for all you do to make my job easier!!! I truly appreciate YOU!

WOW! The behind the scenes of commencement work that you do for EIU and our students is remarkable! My hat is off to YOU!!!

Thank you for always offering to help me! Your can do attitude is a very welcomed addition to the office. I am glad you are here!

Thank you, David, for the passion and friendliness you give to each customer's problems. Stopping by to make sure everything worked for me prior to a presentation was an example of how serious you take your job.. Thank you for providing exceptional customer service!.

Thank you, Chris, for generously offering your expertise to help solve a technical problem that caused me anxiety while preparing a presentation. Your immediate response provided the solution I needed. You even stopped by the day of the presentation to ensure everything was working. Thank you for providing exceptional customer service!.

A huge thank you to Nate Brown, a key player in the success of commencement weekend! 💪🎓

From setting the stage (literally!) to placing every chair, table, bleacher, and sign, he and his team made sure everything was in place. His deep knowledge of commencement logistics—and his calm, can-do attitude—were invaluable. Whether it was a last-minute change or an unexpected need, he was always there, ready to jump in and make it happen.

We’re incredibly grateful for the long hours, attention to detail, and dedication that made everything run so smoothly. It truly wouldn’t have been possible without him and his amazing team! 🙌

Major shoutout and heartfelt thanks to Koty Gough for absolutely knocking it out of the park with this year’s commencement ceremonies!

From the smallest details to the inevitable last-minute curveballs, she handled everything with grace and seriously quick thinking. Her leadership and organization made the entire experience seamless for our graduates, their families, and our team.

We’re incredibly grateful for all the time, energy, and care she poured into making commencement such a meaningful and memorable experience. It truly couldn’t have happened without her!

Thank you for your securing an alternate van for the Bookstore to utilize at Commencement of Saturday, Thank you EIU Bookstore

Thank you Michael for your assist with the behind the scenes setup and test of the Access to the Bookstore Point of Sale from the Commencement location. Your commitment to making sure everything is running as planned is always greatly appreciated. Thank you EIU Bookstore.

We always appreciate Dominic's looking for process improvements. Having the Bookstore Point of Sale being able to be utilized at Commencement made the customer experience much more streamlined and well received. Thank you Dominic, EIU Bookstore.

A big thank you to Erin Howarth, Molly Fasnacht, and Dylan Homann for your time, efforts, and generosity to make a campus tour happen for one of our EIU alums, her son - a prospective student, and her family! All of you are much appreciated!

Jarrett has been lending a hand in multiple ways this week—which is nothing new for him. With move-out week in full swing, he’s juggling even more than usual. But this is classic Jarrett: always ready to step in, always giving his best effort. His work consistently reflects his dedication and high standards.

Pat provided a great idea to the HR team about creating a short Retirement guide for employees to more easily navigate all the steps of preparing for retirement from EIU. We appreciate his insights and for helping us identify a way we can provide an additional resource to our employees, thanks Pat!

Thank you for all your hard work fixing the kitchen door in Lincoln Hall 2nd floor! It was greatly appreciated!

Misty stayed late to help me out at ticket distribution when everything got super busy! She's always willing to step in and help, and I appreciate her so much. Even after working several late nights this week, she’s still showing up to help with commencement—her dedication is incredible! :)

I wanted to give appreciation to Tyler Custer, the Program Assistant for the Office of International Students and Scholars! Thank you for the passion that you have in helping our international students! Whether it is , advising, reviewing student applications, or providing other services, you have been a wonderful help to our international students at EIU. Thank you for all you do! Your work does not go unnoticed!

I wanted to give appreciation to Andy Kabasele, the Dean of International Education! Thank you for the passion that you have in helping our international students! Whether it is recruiting, advising or providing other services, you have been a wonderful help to our international students at EIU. Thank you for all you do! Your work does not go unnoticed!

Troy has been a rockstar in the food court lately. We have had numerous pieces of equipment go down lately and he is always there with a smile on his face, and he never gives up until he figures out a solution. He even makes special trips to come back by and check on us to make sure everything is still operating correctly. He has gone so far above and beyond and if it weren't for him, we would not be operating the way we are.

Thanks Troy,

You have no idea how much you are appreciated!!

I would like to thank Troy for all his had work to keep the equipment running in the Food Court,he does a great job!

Erik is always so helpful and patient in assisting with technology issues. He takes the time to help, he is kind and he ALWAYS finds a solution. He is the best!

Whether it's running around gathering content for a project or meeting with students after hours, Marqeita is always willing to take on a challenge. Her positive attitude and passion to serve our campus community is contagious!

Thanks Lynn for all your fantastic outreach! You are making a difference in the best way!

Jody Stone, Jody stone,

The stoniest Jody I've ever known.

Happy 30 years.

Thank you for always supporting and continuing the creative flow on our Design Team. We have been graced with your multiple talents, and you have brought us a little bit of Ghana while doing it. You have brought so many projects to life and been a wonderful team member. So happy to have you as a Grad and you are very much appreciated in the Housing & Dining Department!

Thank you for all your help on social as well as newsletters and many daily website changes. You are such a great Grad who is always willing to help no matter how busy you are. From events across campus to keeping the ball rolling on our many projects, you do valuable work. We are so lucky to have you in Housing & Dining!