Reference Librarian Kim Gay has been selected as Region 5’s “Advisor of the Year” by the National Society of Collegiate Scholars. Gay has been the sole advisor of the Prairie View A&M University NSCS chapter since 2011. According to the letter Gay received informing her of her selection, she was nominated based on her “strong leadership (skills), her consistent support of the NSCS chapter at Prairie View A&M University, and for her work with the NSS National Advisor Task Force.” “I’ve been grinding so hard at being this advisor,” said Gay, “When I first heard that I got it I was shocked because I had been so busy working due diligently to keep it organized and to keep it going that I didn’t even realize that someone else was noticing all my hard work.”

 

When Gay became an advisor, she knew the commitment would extend beyond her 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. work schedule. This responsibility did not hinder Gay in giving the role her all. When Gay said she was “grinding” she meant she had to stay later past her regular hours to assist with the monthly meetings and work with the speakers. “I do the back end of things while the students conduct the meetings, have their presenters there, go through the general body accession that they have.” She said she is in contact with regional and district managers keeping them informed of what is going on with the University chapter and how they can help in the “wider scheme of things”.

 

“The best thing I take pride in this organization is the students,” said Gay. She challenges her students to excel past the minimum 3.4 GPA requirement for the organization. Gay said she has been in Honor Societies so she knows the effort students put in to maintaining good grades, “That’s the reason I grind so much with the students and help them in the organization because I know they got there because they stayed focused,” said Gay.

To celebrate her accomplishment, Gay shared the email with the PVAMU NSCS Executive Board.  “The celebration was sharing it with the rest of my NSCS members to tell them thank you as well,” said Gay, “If it wasn’t for their hard work I wouldn’t have been able to the keep the organization in line and bring it to another level.”

Region 5 comprises of seven states (Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Arkansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and South Dakota) and hosts 55 chapters. Gay is the first advisor from a Historically Black College or University, located within the region, to receive the award since the organization’s founding in 1994. “What excites me most about winning this award is that it’s a win for Prairie View,” said Gay. “It’s also a win for HBCUs.”

In 2005, The Prairie View chapter of NSCS was chartered in the Department of Languages and Communications by Dr. James Palmer, associate provost of academic affairs. Since its establishment, the chapter has had over 700 active members and has received numerous awards including: NSCS Bronze Award 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016; Advisor Star Award for 2013; PV Choice Awards – Best Honor Society Chapter Award 2013. The following individuals serve as distinguished chapter members: George C. Wright, president of Prairie View A&M University, George Brown, Ph.D., professor, Charles Lewter, dean of the Johnson-Phillip All Faiths Chapel, Frank Jackson, governmental affairs officer, Derek Wilson, Ph.D., associate professor of Juvenile Justice and Psychology, Dejun Liu, Ph.D., associate professor of Languages and Communications , Shayla Wiggins, English enhancement professor, and Mark Tschaepe, Ph.D., assistant professor of Philosophy. She said it’s a great domino effect she was allowed an opportunity to grow and gather insight into making the NSCS chapter here on campus the program she thought it could be. “I didn’t get this award by myself; Prairie View gave me the opportunity to work here and be an advisor.”