Last week COBA’s very own Karen Viertel received an incredible honor: Abilene Christian University’s Unsung Servant Award.
Karen with her husband, Mark
Since 1995, the Students’ Association has annually presented this award to a staff member who goes out of their way to be helpful and caring towards students. This award is a remarkable accomplishment because it is presented to a person who serves students in an exceptionally Christ-like and friendly manner.
Karen, who is an academic advisor for the College of Business, is incredibly good at what she does. As Mason Smith, a sophomore management major points out, “Mrs. Viertel has always provided immediate, informative responses to my concerns, large or small. In regards to scheduling and counseling, she is an invaluable member of the COBA team.”
Furthermore, Stephanie Day, a sophomore accounting and finance major, believes that Karen plays a prominent role in helping students figure out the direction they would like their degrees and their lives to take.
“Karen instills a confidence in the students of COBA while simultaneously pushing them to be better,” says Stephanie. “Karen makes it her job to ensure that those of us in COBA not only fulfill our course requirements, but that we also maximize the full potential of our ACU experience. Karen’s extensive knowledge of all things COBA is truly priceless, and she uses that knowledge to make sure that every student is enrolled in the courses that will maximize the learning curve for that particular field.”
The thing that makes COBA so special is the fact that students get to interact with people like Karen who are not only good at their job, but who truly enjoy it.
“I am so extremely thankful to be working here at ACU in COBA where I have so many wonderful students that are willing to share their lives with us,” says Karen, in response to her award. “The students are what keep me excited about coming to work every day. It is an honor and a privilege to work with our student body, staff and faculty in COBA and it’s exciting to see what our grads do after they leave ACU.”
If you see Karen this week, be sure to congratulate her on this exciting accomplishment!