COMPeers

05/13/2026

Please join us and post your photos supporting Mental Health Awareness in the comments!

05/07/2026

05/05/2026

Mental Health Minute- Mental Health Awareness Month

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, a time dedicated to breaking the silence, reducing stigma, and emphasizing that mental health is just as essential as physical health. Founded in 1949 by Mental Health America (MHA), this annual observance serves as a vital reminder that nearly one in five adults in the U.S. lives with a mental health condition.

This month encourages everyone to:
Start the Conversation: Normalize discussing emotional well-being with friends, family, and colleagues to let others know they are not alone.
Prioritize Self-Care: Focus on emotional resilience through small daily actions like mindful movement, quality sleep, and setting boundaries.
Advocate for Change: Support policies that improve access to mental healthcare and resources for all communities.
Educate Yourself: Learn the signs of emotional distress and familiarize yourself with tools like those found in the SAMHSA Digital Toolkit.

Whether you are thriving or struggling, remember that seeking help is a sign of strength. If you or someone you know is in crisis, you can call or text 988 for free, confidential support from the 988 Su***de & Crisis Lifeline. Dr. Kimberly Grimsley

02/19/2026

National Rubber Chicken Day, celebrated on February 19, is a wonderfully silly holiday dedicated to the iconic, squeaky, yellow comedic prop. It encourages fun, laughter, and appreciation for the flexible bird.

Join us by doing something completely foolish and ridiculously fun today!

Extra points if you share pictures or jokes on our page 😉

02/06/2026

National Wear Red Day encourages us to wear red as a visible sign of support for Women's heart health awareness - Please join us and post your photos in the comments!! ❤️

02/05/2026

GO RED in support of women’s cardiovascular health!

02/05/2026

A big thank you to our Vice President Kay Carrier and the Nursing and Health Professionals department for their pet food collection for MI Lewis.

01/23/2026

January is National Mentoring Month, and each week we will be highlighting a faculty member who makes a meaningful impact to our COM Community.

This week’s spotlight: Giselle Hewitt

My Mentor
Giselle has been, and continues to be, an important part of my learning journey. I registered for her English class in 2015, and she became my first in-class instructor; until then, all of my other classes had been online. She brought out the best in me, both as a person and as a writer. She taught me to look within myself and dig deeper, not only in my writing but in my personal growth. Her passion for her profession is truly inspiring, and I genuinely enjoyed learning from her.
Julie Guardiola

As an instructor I strive to not only assist students to feel more confident in their writing skills, but perhaps more importantly to find better understanding of their own learning process. We all contain a variety of life experiences and methods of learning, so it is crucial to understanding which processes work best for us. When I was in elementary school I was diagnosed with dyslexia and instead of teaching this difference as a crutch I remember my mom explaining that I would need to “learn how [I] learn.” In my classes, I apply this same concept to instruction…first that each student should embrace their failures as vital to their learning process, to find understanding that each has an integral voice in the fabric of society, that as a society we are only at our best when each finds our full potential, and that learning their own process will help them tap into that potential. As a student, I always learned best when each assignment was methodically simplified, given modeled examples of expectations, and structural rules like academic citations were treated with more than a “how it should look” explanation instead focusing on a detailed paring down of the function of each element of writing. This is the style I like to use when teaching as well.

Giselle Hewitt, M.A.
Accounting Specialist IV
English, Humanities Adjunct
College of the Mainland

01/23/2026

January is National Mentoring Month, so COMPeers is highlighting a faculty member each week making a meaningful impact on our COM community.


Dean Schneider, Assistant Professor of Business
"I’ve developed my teaching skills over time through a mix of preparation, experience, and reflection. Early coursework in teaching and instructional design helped me become more intentional about how students learn, not just what I want them to know. That foundation led me to focus on clear expectations, active learning, and connecting course material to real world situations.

In practice, I’ve learned the most by teaching, adjusting, and refining. I often use leadership and decision making tools—such as SWOT analyses, decision matrices, and situational leadership—to help students see how the coursework applies directly to their work environments. Applying situational leadership in the classroom has also shaped how I teach, encouraging me to adjust structure, guidance, and flexibility based on students’ experience and confidence. I also prioritize accessibility and responsiveness by informing students that I am available to interact with them via email and Teams meetings, including during nights and weekends, and by providing timely responses so they feel supported as they work through course material and assignments." - Deane Schneider