Texas Border Business
By Amanda Sotelo
With nearly three decades in student learning support services, Lynell Williams, director of the South Texas College Centers for Learning Excellence (CLE), has earned a Level 4 Lifetime Certification from the International College Learning Center Association (ICLCA).
The nationally recognized certification is the highest distinction and honor offered through the ICLCA that recognizes learning assistance professionals who have demonstrated sustained and documented excellence, leadership and meaningful contributions to the field over many years.
“I’ve held this goal for a long time, so when I learned I had earned this certification, I was happy, relieved and beyond excited,” said Williams. “It was an extensive process, but so worth it.”
As part of the application, Williams had to document the successes of her work over the last 30 years, reference her national conference leadership and presentations and build a professional development plan for her staff.
She always ensures she shares her knowledge nationally and that her staff receives all the training they need to be successful, both personally and professionally.
All STC full-time and part-time CLE tutors and staff, across the college’s six campuses, are certified and/or receive ongoing online and in-person training.
Certifications earned by staff are nationally recognized and accepted at other College Reading and Learning Association accredited institutions, like STC.
Additionally, her most recent and most notable contribution to the professional world was co-founding the creation of the Creative Community College Collaborators, an affiliation of learning center professionals working in the community college environment across the nation that hosts an annual virtual tutor conference.
Williams’ supervisor Jesús Campos, Ph.D., STC interim vice president of Technology, Information and Planning Services and dean of Library Services and Learning Support, said this achievement is a recognition of Williams’ professional excellence.
“We are proud of Lynell for this recognition from the International College Learning Center Association,” said Campos. “The Level 4 Lifetime Certification is a validation of the talented leadership behind the STC Centers for Learning Excellence (CLE) and Ms. Williams’ commitment to professional excellence. Under the expert supervision of Williams, the CLE provides exceptional tutoring, supplemental instruction, academic coaching and other innovative learning support services at no charge to STC students.”
Describing this process as insightful, Williams said getting to this milestone allowed her to reflect on the work and efforts that led her to where she is.
With a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree from Idaho State University, a master’s certificate from the University of North Carolina Wilmington and currently working on a doctorate degree from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) in educational leadership, Williams has dedicated her entire career to student learning, turning student fears into success.
“Learning can be intimidating, and there’s a fear that comes with not understanding or not knowing something. At the CLE and throughout my career, it has been my priority to show students that when they hit that area of uncomfort in a subject, that is where growth is happening,” she said.
After finally earning this Level 4 Lifetime Certification, Williams said she can now be an example for her staff, whom she has encouraged for years to pursue lifetime certification through the ICLCA.
“I encourage all my staff to continue learning and growing,” said Williams. “For the longest time, I pushed my staff to earn an ICLCA certification, but I realized I had to set the example. Now that I have, I’m ready to challenge my staff to jump on this process. I’ll be here with them every step of the way.”
Information source: STC
