Otero College Campus Leaders Recognized at the 2025 End of the Year Awards Ceremony
By Stephen Mathews
Each year, members of Otero’s staff and faculty are recognized and honored for their hard work and determination to positively influence not only Otero College students, but their coworkers and surrounding communities. The recipients of the “Commitment to Excellence” awards and the “End of the Year” Awards and their nomination letters by their peers are listed below.
Name and Story Award
This year’s Name and Story Award goes to someone who truly lives out Otero College’s mission of knowing each student by name and honoring their story—Lisa Pantoya-Smith. As one of our primary academic advisors, Lisa works closely with student-athletes, becoming a trusted presence in their lives. She understands their unique challenges and supports them. Lisa also connects with students before they ever arrive on campus, regularly visiting local high schools to guide future Otero students through the enrollment process. Her impact starts early and continues throughout their entire journey here. What truly sets Lisa apart, however, is the way students gravitate toward her as an unofficial “mom” on campus. Whether she’s planning our annual transfer fair, streamlining advising systems behind the scenes, or helping coordinate graduation with incredible care and attention, Lisa always puts students first. Angela, her nominator, shared, “Lisa doesn’t just know students by name—she knows their stories, honors them, and walks alongside them throughout their journey. Her work embodies what it means to prioritize impact, connection, and care. For these reasons, she is a natural and deserving nominee for the Name and Story Award at Otero College.”
Culture of Care (Integrity) Award
This year’s recipient of the Culture of Care (Integrity) Award is someone who embodies quiet strength, unwavering compassion, and a deep commitment to our students—Jaime Mendoza. For many students, arriving in La Junta can be a significant cultural adjustment. But Jaime has become a trusted bridge during that transition. His calm presence, and willingness to listen offer students from all walks of life a sense of comfort and belonging from the moment they arrive. What’s truly remarkable is that Jaime makes this kind of impact as a part-time employee—proving that it’s not the number of hours you work, but the heart you bring to the job. His support isn’t limited to just those in his department. Jaime is known for stepping up to help any student in need, no matter their background or what challenges they’re facing. According to his nominator, Hailey Wold, Jaime regularly goes beyond his daily role, and also contributes as an active member of the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Council. His thoughtful insights and ideas have helped shape a more inclusive and supportive campus environment for everyone. Jaime Mendoza upholds the mission and values of Otero College by helping those around him become the best versions of themselves. We’re proud to honor him today.
Unsung Otero Hero Award
We’re proud to honor someone whose work often happens behind the scenes but is absolutely essential to the heartbeat of our campus—Felipe Salazar, nominated by Jadyn Bevington. No matter the time—day, night, weekends, or even holidays—when something goes wrong in the dorms, Felipe is there without hesitation. From jammed doors and broken heaters to emergencies that simply can’t wait, he shows up every time, ready to help. The dorms are a 24/7 operation, and Felipe’s reliability, responsiveness, and positive attitude keep things running smoothly. Whether he’s fixing a serious issue or handling a small repair, he always brings a calm presence and a big smile. As Jadyn put it: “I’m not sure the dorms would still be standing without him.” And we couldn’t agree more.
Faculty of the Year – Becky Sporrer
Nominated by Vince Fraker
Dear Faculty Recognition Committee,
It is with great pride that I nominate Becky Sporrer for the Faculty of the Year Award at Otero College. As a faculty member in the Agriculture Business Management (ABM) Program, Becky embodies the dedication, passion, and commitment that define the very best of Otero College’s educators.
Over the past year, Becky has gone above and beyond her regular responsibilities to serve our institution and our students. She has been an invaluable contributor to the SCAF committee and the Curriculum and Instruction Committee, participated in several hiring committees, and taken on the vital role of mentoring new staff. Her willingness to support her colleagues and ensure a seamless transition for incoming team members is a testament to her leadership and collaborative spirit.
This year presented unique challenges, and Becky rose to meet them with remarkable resilience. She stepped up and helped with the Rural Consortium, as well as helping with the academic calendar. Furthermore, she has expanded her role in the ABM program by teaching external classes outside her formal assignment, demonstrating her adaptability and dedication to the college’s success.
Becky’s commitment to the Otero student body is unparalleled. She consistently goes the extra mile to ensure her students achieve their academic and professional goals. One particularly notable success story involves a student who, with Becky’s guidance and support, completed the ABM program and launched their own business. Becky’s pride in this student’s accomplishment was infectious, inspiring staff and students alike. Moments like these highlight her ability to positively influence not only individual lives but the broader Otero community as well.
Becky’s unwavering dedication, exceptional knowledge, and inspiring character set a high standard for all faculty members at Otero College. She is more than an educator—she is a mentor, leader, and advocate for student success. Her contributions this year have made a profound impact on the ABM program, her students, and the college as a whole.
For these reasons, I wholeheartedly endorse Becky Sporrer as the Faculty of the Year. I believe she exemplifies the excellence and values that this award seeks to recognize.
Thank you for considering this nomination. Please feel free to contact me if further information or support is needed.
Sincerely,
Vince Fraker, Department Chair of CTE
Administrative Professional Technical (APT) Employee of the Year – Sherry Johnson
Nominated by Hailey Wold
Sherry doesn’t seek the spotlight; instead, she works tirelessly behind the scenes to create opportunities that foster a sense of belonging for our students at Otero. She goes above and beyond to empower the students on our work study team by encouraging them to explore and develop the skills they’re most interested in. Sherry has even designed tailored task paths for work-study students based on their specific skill interests. She also creates monthly training videos to help these students build new soft skills, further preparing them for future success. You should see the slide show she creates each semester for the work studies that has the training video, monthly recap of things the other work studies did and info for them to get to know each other.
Classified Employee of the Year – Jacob Liming
Nominated by David Girard
This as in every year, challenges always arise for the Security Team. The addition of new members and being/getting involved in the hiring and training of another employee is something Jacob has always embraced and accepted as part of his position in being a team member. Jacob continues to step up to the plate, not only putting in extra time as needed by his shift, but also being a big part of meetings toward changes that have been discussed within the department as well.
As part of the hiring process, schedule changes and general reporting goes, Jacob’s contributions have been extremely valuable in making sure Otero College’s Security Team remains on track in handling the demands of the position 7 days a week.
It is because of all these qualities, efforts and commitment that I am happy to submit Jacob Liming as a candidate for Classified Employee of the Year.
Congratulations to this year’s honorees!
