Dr. Steven A. Zinn FYE Teaching Excellence Award 2025

Amy McKeon

Amy has been teaching FYE classes since 2016, both non-residential Allied Health Learning Community and an 1820 on "Resilience in Healthcare" focused on CliftonStrengths and psychological capital. Her primary role on campus is as an academic advisor for Allied Health Sciences majors. In Amy's teaching, she creates spaces where students feel they matter—using humor, flexibility, and authentic connection to foster belonging, resilience, and self-discovery. She emphasizes that college transitions are complex and deeply personal, and the role of the FYE instructor is to normalize those challenges while offering individualized support, compassion, and practical tools for growth.

John T. Szarlan FYE Mentor Award 2025

Baka Kalemba

Baka is a sophomore in nursing at the Elizabeth DeLuca School of Nursing. She was a FYE mentor for the BSOUL Living Learning Community inf Fall 2025, where students described her as creating an environment that was "welcoming, allowed us to feel supported, confident, and motivated." Baka put a large emphasis on creating a sense of trust between students in her FYE class and did so by learning about each student as an individual and making sure students were seen. Outside of the Learning Community, Baka also serves as Event Coordinator for the Black Nurses Student Union at UConn.

Sowmitha Balasunderraj

Sowmitha is pursuing her bachelor's degree in nursing at the Elizabeth DeLuca School of Nursing and is minoring in Biological Sciences. She is involved in leadership roles such as an FYE mentor and Secretary of UConn Sanskriti, a South Asian cultural organization that promotes cultural dance and singing. She also has her own dance school, where she teaches her cultural dance, Bharatanatyam. She works with the UConn School of Nursing, assisting with events such as Orientation, Bound Day, Open House, and freshman community gatherings, helping new and prospective students learn about programs, campus resources, and opportunities that UConn and the school of Nursing provides.

FYE Teaching Innovation Award 2025

Kim Kleszczynski and NatureRx

Kim Kleszczynski taught the Nature Rx FYE seminar course in the 2025 Fall Term, along with botanist co-instructor, Cynthia Jones. Kim has a Bachelor's Degree in Environmental Studies, and Sociology and Anthropology, from Salve Regina University, and a Master's Degree from the University of Rhode Island in Human Development and Family Studies. In her full-time role, Kim is the Hearing Coordinator in the Office of Community Standards. Her favorite thing about working at UConn is the students. Kim also serves as the current NASPA CT State Director (2024-2028) and sits on the Administrative Committee for UConn's Nature Rx Initiative.

FYE Impact Award 2025

Jeff Winston

Jeff Winston is a longtime First Year Experience (FYE) instructor and the Director of Nexus, whose commitment to student success has shaped the FYE program in meaningful ways. Over the years, Jeff has thoughtfully designed and built innovative systems within Nexus that identify FYE peer mentors, connect first-year students with those mentors, and provide robust early alert and cohort tracking. His creation of the FYE Instructor Hub has been especially transformative, empowering instructors with real-time access to critical student information throughout the semester so they can respond proactively and effectively to student needs. Jeff’s dedication to teaching and spirit of collaboration with the FYE Program have had a tremendous impact on first-year student success. For these reasons, it is with great appreciation that Jeff Winston is honored as the recipient of the 2025 FYE Impact Award.

FYE Outstanding Graduate Teaching Award 2025

Carolyn Carmody

Carolyn Carmody is a second-year Higher Education and Student Affairs student on the UConn Storrs campus. In her First-Year Experience (FYE) class, Carolyn exemplified the core values of FYE instruction by de-centering herself as the sole source of knowledge and instead cultivating a collaborative community of learners. She provided differentiated support to meet students’ unique needs and thoughtfully challenged her FYE Peer Mentor to grow as both a leader and a facilitator. Leading by example and practicing vulnerability as an instructor are central to Carolyn’s teaching philosophy. As she explains, “Teaching begins with a simple act of courage: showing students who we are so they can begin discovering who they might become.” Carolyn's approach to teaching and dedication to helping each student achieve their potential make her most deserving of the Outstanding Graduate Instructor Award.

One UConn FYE Teaching Award 2025

Rawan Shilleh

Rawan Shilleh is a Regional Coordinator in the Center for Access and Postsecondary Success at the University of Connecticut Stamford campus. She is a student-centered educator and practitioner who designs and delivers programming rooted in equity, accessibility, and holistic student development. Drawing from her experience as a first-generation college graduate, she fosters inclusive learning environments that empower students to build confidence, engage critically, and navigate their academic and personal journeys with purpose