Be it a cheerful smile, a friendly hello or a helping hand, Dianne Donovan understands the importance of a good first impression.
As a rule, Donovan is the first one people see when they walk through the door at the Southwest Education Center (SWEC), so she makes sure the college’s first impression is a positive one. She exudes the same friendly disposition when answering the phone. This approach, along with her excellent office skills, earned her the 2026 Part-Time Employee of the Year Award.
“My favorite part of the job is greeting the students,” said Donovan, who started at Moraine Valley in 2012. “I want them to feel welcome. They’re coming into a new place, and they really don’t know anybody unless a couple of classmates from high school are coming here, too. At the beginning, they come in with their head down, and I say ‘Good morning!’ And then, many times halfway through the semester, they’re saying it to me first – before I can even say anything.”
Responses from students like these give Donovan a sense of pride in the work she is doing at SWEC. “It makes me feel good because I feel like I’ve helped them open up a little bit, especially those who were kind of shy.”
She also has a sense of pride in receiving this award. “It is an honor to be recognized,” she said. “My family was thrilled for me and said I was very deserving.” The process came as a surprise to Donovan, who shared that her co-worker, Kim Sala-Buckley, submitted the nomination. “I didn’t know anything about it until I read that I got the award. She never told me.”
While the nomination was a surprise to Donovan, her being named the recipient did not surprise her co-workers.
“Last semester, Dianne came up to me beaming because a student had gone up to her and said, ‘Every day you say hi to me and ask me how I’m doing. You’re always so nice to me.’ The student had tears in her eyes, and it was obvious how much Dianne’s friendliness and warmth meant to her,” commented Lindsey Zerbian, SWEC coordinator. “College can be stressful for our students, especially during midterms and finals. Dianne makes sure they all feel a sense of belonging and puts them at ease.”
Zerbian also noted another of Donovan’s attributes. “What also really stands out is her eagle eye. She is absolutely the best at making sure all our printed materials and website information contain no errors and are precisely worded. She gives the final verdict to go ahead and publish and saves us from embarrassing errors.”
Donovan’s can-do attitude and eagerness to help represent the heart of SWEC, Zerbian noted. “Dianne takes on any question or task with enthusiasm. Faculty, staff and students all love talking to and working with Dianne. She makes SWEC feel like home.”