Friday, April 28, 2017

Samantha Riss is the April Employee of the Month

Samantha Riss has been named the University of Illinois Springfield Employee of the Month for April 2017.

Riss is a child development supervisor at the UIS Cox Children’s Center. She is known for her attention to detail, professionalism and passion for early childhood education.

“She is a team player,” said her nominator. “She comes to work with a smile on her face and is a positive mentor to other full-time and part-time staff.”

She maintains very positive relationships with families and children in her classroom and is known for being approachable and putting parents at ease.

“One thing that stands out is her relationships with the children and families that she serves,” said her nominator. “She is nurturing and compassionate and has the ability to ensure that all feel comfortable leaving their children in her care.”

She is prompt and meets all deadlines in a timely manner and she never hesitates to take on additional tasks that are needed to maintain workflow within the center.

“Sam starts each day with a fresh mindset and never lets the challenges of one day or one situation affect the next,” said her nominator. “Sam is able to remain focused on our core values and mission and is excited by change and a visionary approach – never allowing herself or the children to be stifled by mundane practices.”

Riss is active on campus, attends sporting events and volunteers at after hours events, such as Springfest. Outside of UIS, she mentors young girls as a volunteer youth softball coach.

“She embraces a ‘students first’ approach – never hesitating to get involved on campus or in the community. She takes her classroom to tons of campus events to expose them to our campus culture and she attends functions on her own time on a regular basis,” said her nominator.