The Kudos program allows faculty, staff, and students the opportunity to express appreciation for Williams staff who, by going beyond their regular job responsibilities, have:
- made a contribution to the Williams community
- demonstrated the spirit that makes Williams College a great place to work
Current Honorees
Nomination submitted by: Laini Sporbert, Staff
“Via Nick Simonds, from Berkshire Harm Reduction:
Gregorio and Ernani were amazing! They went above and beyond what I had expected. Upon requesting a ladder to see if I could fix the awning myself, the two of them arrived with tools in hand. They were able to get it screwed back into place and secure, so I can get it to our garage for further repairs. The Williams College community is lucky to have Gregorio and Ernani on their team!”
Nomination submitted by: Richard Duncan, Staff
“The Williamstown Chamber of Commerce purchased a menorah for the town last year to be publicly displayed. We had some issues getting it put together then and ended up damaging a component. When we went to put it together this year, I reached out to Facilities to see if someone could take a look at it and Dave came over. He figured out what the problem was with the lighting and helped us brainstorm how to fix it. He also helped us to install it outside. Then, when it later stopped working altogether, he figured out what the problem was and quickly fixed it again! He was also responsible for setting up the electrical needs for the Souper Bowl inside Lasell Gym during the Holiday Walk, ensuring that we were able to bring that much loved event inside instead of being outside in the elements. Thank you, Dave, for all that you’ve done this year for the residents of the town!!!”
Nomination submitted by: Amalio Jusino and Meg Bossong, Staff
“Laini has been working for many years on the issue of opioid overdoses, recognition of an overdose, and the need for education and availability related to Narcan. Prior to my employment here she I was asked to assist in some training back in 2016-2017?? Her tenacity is remarkable as there was a student group at that time that was helping drive this but they graduated and moved on. Laini remained, and most recently after creating an amazing collaboration between students doing great work on this topic, Berkshire Harm Reduction and Berkshire Health Systems, along with many individuals and organizations that she has worked with through her community outreach, she has secured the Berkshire Harm Reduction RV to be on campus monthly to provide Narcan and many other services unavailable to students, and this week secured two Narcan dispensary boxes complete with directions and Narcan for faculty, staff, and students to have locations on campus to get Narcan. This is a request from many for years, and this sustainable program is all at no cost to the college due to these amazing partnerships Laini has created.
This is not about an opioid drug problem on campus, this is about staying current with National trends for equitable healthcare, it is about exceeding the recommendations from the Biden Administration that all schools should have Narcan available and provide education, and it is about providing our students in rural America the potentially life-saving interventions they may need on or off campus in the event of an accidental overdose.
Laini and her team of students work without bias or stigma around drug use. They are trend setters in their actions and their focus of being good humans to all. They have reviewed research across the Country, and continue to expand student-facing programs that make a difference. They will be hosting Narcan trainings on campus within the next month and will be creating an educational video soon after that.
These are the reasons why Laini, who is very humble in her own praise, deserves to be recognized. When I think about Above and Beyond, I think what greater measurement of that then empowering someone to be able to save a life, reduce stigma, and then leave a legacy through additional education.
Thank you, I look forward to your decision, and hope you vote favorably for this nomination.”
“Laini has been working diligently over her 2+ decades at Williams to bring more harm reduction and recovery resources to campus. She created a very important partnership with the Berkshire Harm Reduction mobile unit that brings the RV to campus monthly for STI testing, overdose prevention, and other harm reduction work and is available free to students, staff, and faculty. As part of that collaboration (along with Amalio Jusino), they will be expanding the availability of Narcan boxes on campus to multiple locations at no cost to the college. Laini has worked hard to build partnerships and support for this critical and lifesaving work.”
Winter Nominees:
