One of the highlights of our CIS Global Forum each year is the celebration of outstanding work across our community of universities and schools via the Higher Education Awards. 

This year, amid such a challenging time, it gives us enormous pleasure to celebrate, recognise, and thank the following individuals for their exemplary service in the international admission and guidance community.

 

 

2020 CIS T. Michael Maybury Award

Congratulations to Amy E. Markham, Mount Holyoke College, Massachusetts, USA

 

 

The presentation of the CIS T. Michael Maybury Award is a tradition and an opportunity for us to honour a member of the CIS higher education community who merits special recognition for a high level of service and leadership. 

Our warmest congratulations go to this year’s award recipient, Amy E. Markham. She has been an integral part of the international admissions community for many years. Colleagues in the profession note that Amy is “an incredibly thoughtful, hardworking, and principled leader. She's always ready and willing to mentor others, provide incredible feedback and insight, and to lend a hand, no matter the situation.”

Twenty years ago, Amy co-founded an informal network of international admissions officers in New England. Now known as International Envoys, the group has grown greatly over the years, and now facilitates communication among international admissions officers in the United States through its listserv and annual one-day conference. One individual noted of their experience, “the conference each year is timely and addresses issues salient to the circumstances that admissions officers are facing in real-time. Amy works hard to understand the issues that are important each year. International Envoys fosters a strong sense of support and community long after we return to our respective campuses after the annual conference.”

Amy has also played a crucial role in the development of the MHC Shakti Program, a leadership development conference for the next generation of women leaders in India. The conference features leadership lessons from successful, professional Indian women and encourages students to develop confidence, resilience and flexibility. According to one of Amy’s nominators “it has become a very successful conference and is a tribute to Amy's vision for young women as leaders around the world.” Another noted that: “she is passionate about human rights and issues of diversity, equity and inclusion.”

Amy’s history with CIS goes back decades. She served on the CIS Asia Committee for many years, and led one of the first CIS university groups to China in the mid-1990s. A colleague who worked as a counsellor in Beijing at the time notes that this trip was a momentous event for both his international school and CIS. Amy helped to open the door for international student recruitment travel in the region.

Called a thought leader who is forward-thinking, her nominators note that Amy is always looking for ways to innovate the profession and make the admissions process more transparent. A mentor and role-model to many, Amy constantly strives to provide advice and mentorship to newer colleagues, promotes the sharing of information, and facilitates networking and advancement opportunities for newer colleagues.

 

 

2020 CIS Peggy Templeton Strong Award

Congratulations to Patience Fanella-Koch, Aiglon College, Switzerland

 

 

The CIS Peggy Templeton Strong Award is an honour which was established to recognize a member of the CIS guidance community who has made a significant and lasting contribution to the field of international school guidance and counselling. 

It is a great pleasure for us to present the 2020 CIS Peggy Templeton Strong Award to Patience Fanella-Koch. Patience has made significant contributions in both her school community and the larger international counselling community. Many nominators note her passion for service and helping others—both professionals and students alike. One of her nominators, a former student, said “she is very hardworking, going beyond anyone’s expectations without being asked because she genuinely wants to help young minds reach their full potential and access life-changing opportunities. Additionally, she is selfless and kind-hearted, which enables her to connect with her students and mentees on a personal level.”

For many years, Patience served on the Executive Board for the International Association for College Admission Counseling, developing the inaugural Opportunity Grant award review and selection process and procedures. Those who worked with her on developing that program noted that “she took on this task as she approaches everything—with thoughtfulness and humour, always keeping the mission of inclusion and access in mind. The structures she put in place will ensure this program continues to be successful for years to come.”

Patience has also, quietly and of her own initiative, volunteered to help build a university counselling program at Starehe Boys’ School in Kenya. One nominator noted “she fills almost all her spare time volunteering to help others, both colleagues and students, access life-changing opportunities. Patience just genuinely wants to help everyone.”

According to one nominator, Patience is “quite simply the most awe-inspiring college counsellor I have ever had the pleasure of working with. Her ability to inspire students, her level of expert knowledge, and the care and time she gives to students is outstanding. Students who are lucky enough to work with her are motivated to try more, push harder and often go beyond their potential. She is truly outstanding in every way.”

Another nominator wrote, “it is important to note that Patience’s super powers include the ability to see those who can benefit from a little guidance whether she has been asked or not. She is changing lives. It’s who she is and what she does.”

 

About the awards:

CIS T. Michael Maybury Award—Mike Maybury, former Executive Director of CIS, devoted a lifetime of service to the promotion of international education and global understanding. During his years at the helm of CIS, Mike served us as a dedicated leader whose tireless work on behalf of higher education was instrumental in fostering the educational programmes we now carry forward. With this award, we honour a member of the CIS higher education community whose work continues Mike’s legacy and who has also made significant contributions to international education.

CIS Peggy Templeton Strong Award—Peggy Templeton Strong enjoyed a long and distinguished career in the field of international school guidance. She devoted herself to serving students and mentored countless guidance counsellors and international admissions representatives. Peggy’s vision, commitment, and exemplary standards serve as an inspiration to us all. With this award, we honour a member of the CIS guidance community whose work continues Peggy Templeton Strong’s legacy.

 

Our warmest congratulations to Amy and Patience!