Jefferson Community College Associate Professor Genny Pond of Pulaski to Receive Clarkson University Inspirational Educator Award

Nominated by two Clarkson seniors from Lowville

Potsdam, NY (04/28/2017) — Jefferson Community College Associate Professor of Engineering Sciences Genny Pond of Pulaski, N.Y., goes above and beyond for her students, supporting them through difficult times while still pushing them to do their best

Pond is one of three recipients of this year's Clarkson University Inspirational Educator Awards.

The professor at Jefferson Community College in Watertown, N.Y., was nominated by former students Chelsea Koster of Lowville, N.Y., a senior civil engineering major, and Chelsea Zehr of Lowville, N.Y., a senior engineering and management major at Clarkson. The award will be presented during Clarkson's commencement weekend activities.

Each year, Clarkson asks its seniors to nominate the educators who have significantly affected their lives and helped guide their higher education and career decisions. The award recognizes these educators for their lasting impact on their students and in their fields of education.

Early in the spring term, graduating seniors submit their reasons for choosing their nominees, how they influenced them and actual situations in which they showed themselves to be outstanding educators.

Koster and Zehr said Pond deserves this award for her dedication to her students' success, from sharing career advice to bringing in snacks to make a difficult week a little easier. Koster said it was Pond who informed her she received the transfer scholarship to study engineering at Clarkson.

"She encourages her students to do their best even when they feel like giving up," Koster said. "Many times I didn't understand what being an engineer meant or why I was studying to become one, but she always inspired me to continue and keep working at it.

"She helps her students when it gets rough. Engineering is a hard program, and she did her best to take it easy on us when we needed it, but also push us when we needed it, too."

Zehr said Pond has remained a mentor long after the class ended.

"She is more than an educator," Zehr said. "Now that I am no longer her student, she is still a friend. She loves to remain in contact with her former students because she truly cares about us."

Koster said Pond has motivated her to travel and learn more about how important engineering is everywhere and in everyday life. She has helped her succeed not online in the classroom, but in life as well.

"Thank you for always being there for me and for inspiring me to keep going and keep working hard," Koster said. "I couldn't have done it without all your help and push to keep going when I didn't want to. And thank you for keeping in touch after I left JCC and still being a great mentor and friend. I will always remember the days in class when you would have the whole class laughing so hard over something you said or showed us. You were and still are such a great educator and you deserve recognition for it. Thank you for not only impacting my life in a positive way, but so many others as well."

"Thank you, Genny, for always having a sense of humor in class and allowing us to do the same," Zehr added. "You allowed a different kind of classroom environment that I haven't found anywhere else that allowed us to learn and enjoy the time we were there."

Clarkson University educates the leaders of the global economy. One in five alumni already leads as an owner, CEO, VP or equivalent senior executive of a company. With its main campus located in Potsdam, New York, and additional graduate program and research facilities in the Capital Region and Beacon, N.Y., Clarkson is a nationally recognized research university with signature areas of academic excellence and research directed toward the world's pressing issues. Through more than 50 rigorous programs of study in engineering, business, arts, education, sciences and the health professions, the entire learning-living community spans boundaries across disciplines, nations and cultures to build powers of observation, challenge the status quo and connect discovery and innovation with enterprise.