Glynis Christine, CARE Center Coordinator and Student Development Specialist I, Dean of Students, was selected as the Texas State Employee of the Month for September 2021.
In her position as Student Development Specialist I, Glynis has supported individuals in a way that allows them to feel more connected to their humanity and better able to achieve their goals. Students often remark on Glynis’ incredibly open and welcoming presence and how she has helped them unpack their burdens and find solutions. She provides personalized life-coaching that spans a continuum between compassionate tenderness and hard truth, depending on what is most appropriate to the student’s well-being. She not only works with students in crisis but also collaborates with their professors to make sure that the students’ needs are considered in all aspects of their lives at Texas State.
At the start of the pandemic, Glynis took the lead in the coordination and distribution of CARES Act funds for students. In her role as CARE Center Coordinator, Glynis has closely coordinated with University Advancement and emergency funding assistance programs to grant emergency loans and grants to over 400 students. She has personally overseen the timely distribution of $3.75 million in Bobcat CARES funds, including the training and management of a group of 50 volunteers from all over campus to provide much-needed funds to over 6,300 students.
Glynis is actively involved in making sure students feel safe and are having their basic needs met, even outside the classroom. Since it opened in 2018, Glynis has served on the steering committee for Bobcat Bounty food pantry and has helped the pantry grow and better serve the Texas State community. Her expertise is not only invaluable at Texas State but also across Texas, and she has presented and hosted workshops with The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.
Glynis has provided comfort, safety, and support to over 2000 students in crisis. Parents and students have described her as “a blessing,” and “lifesaving.” Her efforts have been essential to student retention and students have directly credited her with their continuation at Texas State University. Glynis’ heartfelt dedication has inspired many of her coworkers and encouraged them to work in a way that is both strategic and heartfelt.
Glynis’ love for Texas State is not just evident in the care with which she treats each student but is also represented in her art, such as the mosaic work on display in LBJ Student Center. Glynis’ hard work has been noticed by multiple awards already, but we are happy to add another distinction to her list.
Congratulations Glynis, on your dedication and hard work, and being recognized as the September 2021 Employee of the Month!