Past Award Recipients, please scroll to read about all of these wonderful awardees.
My name is Stephanie Shaffer, MA, LPC. I am from Chesapeake, OH and a proud two-time Alumna of Marshall University. I received a BA in Psychology with a History Minor in 2015 and a MA+45 in Counseling in 2018. Since receiving these degrees, I have become a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in WV and a Licensed School Counselor in WV & OH. I am a Certified Shame Informed Treatment Specialist (CSTS), a Certified Grief Informed Professional (CGP), and am Certified in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (C-DBT). In addition, I am trained in Crisis Intervention and Trauma Informed Care and certified in Autism Allies, SafeTALK Suicide Prevention, QPR, and Yoga EQ. I have been a Member at Large for WVASPA for 3 years and have really enjoyed my time connecting with other professionals in Higher Education, providing trainings for participants, helping to plan the conferences, and learning from the amazing presenters that give their time to teach and inform.
I have worked in various mental health and K-12 schools but have found my true home as part of the Marshall Community. For the past 5 years I have served in various roles at Marshall; I have worked as a Mental Health Specialist, a Coordinator for the Be HERD Mental Health and Wellness Program for Athletes, and currently I am serving as the Coordinator for Intercultural & International Students. I have been given a great opportunity to work with many different students from a variety of backgrounds, cultures, and life experiences. I currently work as an Adjunct Professor for the College of Education and Professional Development Counseling Master's Program at Marshall and enjoy working with up-and-coming counselors and helping them grow as professionals and individuals.
I am an outdoor person by nature and enjoy doing anything that is outside. I am a mother of 2 amazing children with my husband of 15 years and a fur mom to 3 dogs and 1 cat. In my spare time I am interested in movies, board games, hiking, yard work, traveling, taking naps, reading, listening to my records, Zumba, spending time with friends and family, target shooting, and cleaning/organizing.
I have worked in various mental health and K-12 schools but have found my true home as part of the Marshall Community. For the past 5 years I have served in various roles at Marshall; I have worked as a Mental Health Specialist, a Coordinator for the Be HERD Mental Health and Wellness Program for Athletes, and currently I am serving as the Coordinator for Intercultural & International Students. I have been given a great opportunity to work with many different students from a variety of backgrounds, cultures, and life experiences. I currently work as an Adjunct Professor for the College of Education and Professional Development Counseling Master's Program at Marshall and enjoy working with up-and-coming counselors and helping them grow as professionals and individuals.
I am an outdoor person by nature and enjoy doing anything that is outside. I am a mother of 2 amazing children with my husband of 15 years and a fur mom to 3 dogs and 1 cat. In my spare time I am interested in movies, board games, hiking, yard work, traveling, taking naps, reading, listening to my records, Zumba, spending time with friends and family, target shooting, and cleaning/organizing.
I am a new participant with WVASPA, but I have been active throughout my career in several organizations including the West Virginia Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (WVASFAA and the Midwest Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (MASFAA) several years ago, and more recently with National Academic Advising Association (NACADA). Participating in our state conferences gives us the opportunity to build strong and lasting relationships with our colleagues to help us decipher new regulations or programs or help us develop best practices to guide our students. We all share the same goal – to see students succeed.
The greatest honor one can receive is an honor bestowed upon you by your colleagues. There are times that we spend more waking hours with our colleagues than we do our families. On our jobs, we often face challenges that we cannot control, but must find ways to overcome. To know that my colleagues have seen me at my best and sometimes at my worst and still chose to give me this honor leaves me humbled.
Read Sherri's bio below:
Sherri Stepp, Ed.D., worked in financial aid as a work-study student while pursuing her undergraduate degree at Marshall University and it was there that she found her calling in higher education. Soon after graduation, she worked as the Grant Program Administrator with the West Virginia Higher Education Grant Program before returning to her alma mater to work 15 years as a financial aid counselor. She moved to Student Affairs where she was the Coordinator of Parent Resources for four years. She was then called upon to be the Interim Director of University College which became a permanent for more than 13 years. She now serves as Associate Dean of Undergraduate Studies and is blessed to work with several units on campus including University College, the Herd Academy, Undergraduate Academic Advising, Regents Bachelor of Arts, and Tutoring. She coordinated the University’s Week of Welcome program for 13 years before handing it off to Intercultural and Student Affairs this year.
Sherri is originally from Chesapeake, OH, and currently lives in Proctorville, OH, with her husband, Eugene, and dog, Mio. She has one daughter, Kelsey, and son-in-law, Fred. She enjoys reading, doodling/drawing, cooking, baking, riding in the golf cart while her husband golfs, and trips to the beach and to the mountains.
The greatest honor one can receive is an honor bestowed upon you by your colleagues. There are times that we spend more waking hours with our colleagues than we do our families. On our jobs, we often face challenges that we cannot control, but must find ways to overcome. To know that my colleagues have seen me at my best and sometimes at my worst and still chose to give me this honor leaves me humbled.
Read Sherri's bio below:
Sherri Stepp, Ed.D., worked in financial aid as a work-study student while pursuing her undergraduate degree at Marshall University and it was there that she found her calling in higher education. Soon after graduation, she worked as the Grant Program Administrator with the West Virginia Higher Education Grant Program before returning to her alma mater to work 15 years as a financial aid counselor. She moved to Student Affairs where she was the Coordinator of Parent Resources for four years. She was then called upon to be the Interim Director of University College which became a permanent for more than 13 years. She now serves as Associate Dean of Undergraduate Studies and is blessed to work with several units on campus including University College, the Herd Academy, Undergraduate Academic Advising, Regents Bachelor of Arts, and Tutoring. She coordinated the University’s Week of Welcome program for 13 years before handing it off to Intercultural and Student Affairs this year.
Sherri is originally from Chesapeake, OH, and currently lives in Proctorville, OH, with her husband, Eugene, and dog, Mio. She has one daughter, Kelsey, and son-in-law, Fred. She enjoys reading, doodling/drawing, cooking, baking, riding in the golf cart while her husband golfs, and trips to the beach and to the mountains.
Autumn Perry serves as College Access and Success Program Director in the Division of Student Affairs for the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission and the West Virginia Community and Technical College System. In this role she works closely with student affairs professionals and student leaders from higher education institutions statewide, and oversees various committees, and programs impacting these groups. She also oversees college access and success initiatives and outreach in West Virginia’s eastern panhandle region where she is based.
Autumn has over 13 years of experience in higher education, including past roles in academic advising and career services. Prior to entering the field of higher education, she worked as a program coordinator for a crisis center serving victims of domestic violence and their children. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from West Virginia University and a master’s degree in College Student Development and Administration from Shepherd University.
I have stayed actively involved in WVASPA over the years because I appreciate the opportunity this organization provides to be a part of and engage with a statewide network of professionals representing such a wide variety of student service roles. The annual conference is always a highlight, offering a chance for attendees to share programs and best practices across institutions. Being named as the 2021 recipient of the Stella Cooksey Distinguished Service Award was an incredible honor, especially given that previous recipients were colleagues of our profession who I deeply respect and admire.
Autumn has over 13 years of experience in higher education, including past roles in academic advising and career services. Prior to entering the field of higher education, she worked as a program coordinator for a crisis center serving victims of domestic violence and their children. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from West Virginia University and a master’s degree in College Student Development and Administration from Shepherd University.
I have stayed actively involved in WVASPA over the years because I appreciate the opportunity this organization provides to be a part of and engage with a statewide network of professionals representing such a wide variety of student service roles. The annual conference is always a highlight, offering a chance for attendees to share programs and best practices across institutions. Being named as the 2021 recipient of the Stella Cooksey Distinguished Service Award was an incredible honor, especially given that previous recipients were colleagues of our profession who I deeply respect and admire.