SEOPS's Diane Limon Honored With Outstanding

Classified Employee Award
   
A full-time staff member who literally assists hundreds of students every year has received Cuesta’s 2005 Outstanding Employee Award in the classified division.

Working three days a week at the main San Luis Obispo Campus and two days a week at North County Campus, Diane “Dee” Limon is an Eligibility Technician for Cuesta’s EOPS (Extended Opportunity Program and Services), a state funded program that provides an accessible and rewarding college experience to low income students. The position is a perfect fit: when she first began Cuesta in the early l990s, Limon was a single mother attending college while raising her two daughters -- and was an EOPS participant. Limon received her A.S. degree in l996 and today, some of the activities she has coordinated include the Grizzly Challenge tours and Foster Teen tours and presentations. Limon has also worked with the North County Head Start programs, the North County Leadership program and the Latina Leadership Network.

One nominator had this to say about Limon: “She is an expert at taking a confused, unhappy or stressed student and working them calmly and cheerfully toward a solution. Not just because she’s paid to do that, but because she genuinely likes her fellow humans and wants good things to happen for them. She’s not just a resource for getting paperwork filled out correctly in order to receive or continue receiving financial support, she is a source of continued moral support and kindness for many of the students.”

Another nominator offered these insights: “Diane moves her outreach efforts beyond the boundaries of our campuses – into the lives of the students. I have personally seen her react to student emergencies that involve their children, spouses, or extended families, and she has been known to help in dire situations, outside of her normal working schedule.

“Diane has ‘been there’ before, and wants others to know that education is the bridge to a better way of life.”

The award is open to all full-time classified staff with four or more years of service, or to regular part-time staff with eight or more years of service. Limon was presented with the honor on May 20 at an End-Of-The-Year Breakfast at Cuesta’s Student Center.