MJC staffer named a 2016 White House Champion of Change

A Modesto Junior College staffer is one of 12 school workers nationwide named as a White House Champion of Change for School Support.

Debbi Partridge is a multimedia technician at the Modesto campus, making sure computers, audiovisual equipment and other high-tech devices in nearly 200 smart classrooms are ready for when classes begin.

“She works tirelessly to ensure that in addition to daily technical support issues that arise, Partridge sets up sound and multimedia systems for campus events, and records video for lectures, speeches and athletic events,” notes her selection summary. “Partridge shows the same dedication off the job, assisting with school fundraisers and field trips, and coaching T-ball.”

Other recipients were bus driver Ted Chaudoir of Brussels, Wis., who implemented putting books for kids in the bus so children with long rides had something constructive to do.

Cynthia Tercero-Sandoval, dropout programs coordinator for a Phoenix school, spoke of a home visit to a truant student. She found out there was no running water in the house and the teen was embarrassed to go to school unwashed. She arranged to open the gym early and stock a locker with toiletries so he could have showers.

“Sometimes it’s not about a one-size-fits-all approach,” Tercero-Sandoval said at a press briefing held Wednesday.

Special-education aide Doreen McGuire-Grigg works in Lakeport and arranged to have bedding and cooking supplies made available to school employees and community members after a wildfire struck.

The awards also went to a San Jose college groundskeeper, a school custodian working with the campus preschool program, a high school substitute teacher coordinator who helps teens find scholarships and several special-education aides who go above and beyond.

“Support staff are really being the bridge, bringing student experiences into the classroom,” said Roberto Rodriguez, deputy assistant to the president for education.

This story was originally published May 11, 2016 at 1:11 PM with the headline "MJC staffer named a 2016 White House Champion of Change."