Honored for Creating A Climate of
Commitment:
Cherie Snyder receives national recognition
Professor Cherie Snyder
recently received the 2020
Dale P. Parnell Faculty
Distinction Recognition from the
American Association of Community
Colleges (AACC).
Snyder is one of 56 Parnell
Faculty Distinction Recognition
recipients from across the nation,
according to Tammy Reichelt,
AACC’s director of Professional
Development and Student Success
Strategies.
The recognition, named in honor
of former AACC President and CEO
Her impact on her students and our community will
be felt for generations to come. With her incredible
work ethic and compassionate demeanor, she’s the
epitome of the dedicated teacher. ”
-Keri Pfitzenmayer ‘13, ACM instructor and MSW student
at Salisbury University
Dale P. Parnell, was established in
2018 to recognize individuals making
a difference in the classroom.
In her nomination of Snyder,
Bambara noted that in her “many
years in academia, it is rare to
find an instructor who leaves an
indelible mark on their students
the way that Professor Snyder
has.” She said that Snyder “would
be the first to suggest that her
accomplishments as an academic
are best measured by the success
of her program students and
alumni,” and provided testimonials
from alumnae who gave weight to
Snyder’s creation of “a climate of
commitment” in her classroom.
Snyder, who has taught at
ACM since 1987, is the director of
ACM’s Human Service Associate
curriculum and chair of the college’s
Integrative Health Team, an effort
17 ACCESS ACM / Building Futures
to create a national model for allied
health education based on a holistic,
integrative approach to care.
In addition to pursuing and
managing multiple grant projects
during her tenure at ACM, she
is the recipient of numerous
awards, including a William Donald
Schaefer Helping People Award, a
National Organization for Women
Community Leader Award, a
NISOD Award for Leadership, an
ACM Civic Engagement Award,
and multiple faculty and teaching
awards from ACM.
The American Association of
Community Colleges is the primary
advocacy organization for the
nation’s community colleges. The
association represents nearly 1,200
two-year, associate degree-granting
institutions and more than 12
million students.
“
Q&A with Robin Swindell,
Director of ACM
Bedford County Campus
and Student Services
This year, Robin Swindell
will retire from her position
as director of the Bedford
County Campus of ACM.
What brought you to ACM in 1994?
My youngest
turned three and I
was ready to return
to the workforce. I
had finished my own
associate degree
through a rural
education program so I was passionate
about the possibility of working for a
community college in my hometown.
What’s kept you at ACM ever since?
It’s been the support I’ve received
and the challenges we’ve addressed
as a team.
I have learned something new each
day from a student or coworker. We
have always operated the campus as
a family built on respect, common
goals, trust, and communication.
We’ve incorporated the needs and
best interests of our students into
our decisions. Their educational
experience was the product of our
work each and every day.
The commencement ceremony
is the most humbling part of my
experience at the college. The
students’ stories of their journeys
to complete their degrees are
incredibly moving. Watching their
transformation is the greatest reward.
What’s your best piece of advice
for students?
My best advice for students is to
put the needs of others first. Help
others even if it puts you outside of
your comfort zone.
What does retirement hold for you?
I am very excited about the next
chapter of my life. I plan to spend more
quality time with my family, especially my
grandchildren. I am still fortunate to have
both parents in my life and hoping to spend
some quality time with them as well.