Values Shout Out: Madeline Lovato and Heather Dodson-Smith
Faculty: Madeline Lovato
Nominated by Christina Babcock: I am proudly nominating Madeline Lovato for the Caring Award. She consistently demonstrates an unwavering commitment to our students and the Paralegal Studies Program through her dedication, kindness, and willingness to go above and beyond.
Madeline is a part-time instructor in our program. This year, in addition to her regular teaching load, Madeline willingly developed a new Competency-Based Education (CBE) course in the spring and is teaching a CBE course now in the fall, helping both me and the program tremendously. Her willingness to embrace new initiatives and support program growth reflects her dedication to student success.
Her commitment to creating meaningful student experiences is evident in the opportunities she provides outside the classroom as well. She organized a visit to the New Mexico Supreme Court, giving students a unique and memorable opportunity. She also helped establish our annual Paralegal Program Meet-and-Greet, and because of her efforts, we are proudly celebrating our second annual event, bringing students and instructors together to build connections within our fully online program.
Her genuine passion for teaching is evident in every interaction, and students know they have someone who believes in them and is invested in their success. She embodies the spirit of this award and is highly deserving of recognition for the care she shows to everyone around her.
Staff: Heather Dodson-Smith
Nominated by Andrea Gurrola: I would like to nominate Heather Dodson-Smith, Business Analyst (EMSS), for the value of Be Courageous.
As a member of the Student Records Workstream for the CHESS Workday Student project, Heather has demonstrated courage in both her approach to learning and her willingness to share honest feedback. She has immersed herself in learning a completely new system, asking ALL the questions, exploring functionality, and not being afraid to "push the buttons" to understand how things work. She actively engages with Workday consultants, participates in communities of other Workday Student institutions, and builds connections with peers across higher education to learn from their experiences and share our own.
Heather consistently takes what she learns and turns it into action. She uses the CHESS Alma Mater University (AMU) tenant to test configurations, validate ideas, and help the team better understand Workday functionality.
One of many examples that stands out was her recent evaluation of the Workday mobile student experience. Heather took the initiative to gain access to the non-production mobile app, test the experience as a student, and evaluate how it compares to the desktop experience. What she found was not always positive, but instead of keeping those observations to herself, she thoughtfully documented her findings and presented them to SIS Leadership.
That took courage. It would have been easier to focus only on what worked well, but Heather was honest about the functionality gaps and what they could mean for students. Her willingness to share both the good and the not-so-good gave leadership a clearer understanding of the student experience and sparked conversations beyond CNM. Other CHESS institutions have since expressed interest in learning from her work and exploring how to test the mobile experience themselves.
Heather's actions have strengthened collaboration across institutions, expanded our professional network, and helped our team make more informed decisions. Most importantly, they reflect who she is: someone who is not afraid to learn something new, puts herself out there, asks the tough questions, and openly shares what she discovers so others can benefit.
Heather embodies what it means to Be Courageous.