NORTH CANTON, Ohio, April 28, 2026 – Stark State College has named its top faculty and staff members for 2025-26. The honorees will be celebrated at the College’s Employee Recognition Event on Friday, May 1.

Tammy Kaylor, MSN, BA, RN, CDCA, director of the Northeast Ohio Workforce Initiative in Nursing Project, was chosen for the Distinguished Staff Award – Full Time; Caryn Griffin, student support counselor in counseling support services, was selected for the Distinguished Staff Award – Part Time; Amanda Dawson, DNP, MSNed, RN, RN to BSN coordinator and assistant professor in nursing, received the Distinguished Teaching Award; and Rebekkah Schmidt, adjunct instructor, was chosen for the Adjunct Excellence Award in Teaching.

Tammy Kaylor

Tammy Kaylor is a registered nurse, educator and advocate whose career journey reflects the power of lifelong learning and reinvention. A proud Malone University graduate, she spent decades in fundraising, grant writing, marketing and business development before answering a lifelong calling to nursing. After earning her associate degree in nursing from Stark State College in 2020, she served as an RN in critical care during the pandemic, inpatient behavioral health and forensic psychiatry. She currently maintains clinical practice on weekends as lead recovery coordinator in the emergency department at Cleveland Clinic Akron General, where she connects patients to addiction treatment directly from the ED.

Tammy is passionate about reducing the stigma surrounding mental health and substance use disorders and helping patients overcome barriers to care. At Stark State, she serves as an adjunct nursing instructor and directs a federal Department of Labor grant-funded project focused on strengthening nursing pathways and supporting student success.

Active in professional organizations and community service, Tammy serves with NAMI Summit County, the American Nurses Association – Ohio, Emergency Nurses Association, American Psychiatric Nurses Association and the Stark County Opioid Task Force. She has also presented her work nationally. Currently pursuing her doctorate in nursing at Ohio University, Tammy is committed to servant leadership, lifelong learning and encouraging others with her belief that it’s never too late – never give up. Outside of work, Tammy enjoys family time, rescue dogs and exploring America’s National Parks, with Alaska next on the horizon.

Caryn Griffin

Caryn Griffin is a student support counselor in Stark State’s mental health and community outreach department, where she primarily serves students at the Stark State College Akron location. Since joining Stark State in 2019, she has supported the College and surrounding community through a wide range of clinical and consultative services, including individual and group counseling, assessment, crisis intervention, referral assistance, mental health programming, suicide prevention gatekeeper training, community outreach, advocacy and educational initiatives.

Caryn holds a Master of Arts degree in mental health counseling and is a licensed professional clinical counselor with supervisory designation in the state of Ohio. She also holds certifications as a QPR suicide prevention trainer and a clinical trauma professional.

She works closely with students to support their personal and academic goals and collaborates with departments and divisions across campus to promote student success. Committed to the College’s role within the larger community, she builds strong partnerships with local organizations to connect students with community‑based resources and support, helping them succeed on campus and beyond.

Dr. Amanda Dawson

Dr. Amanda Dawson is a dedicated nursing educator at Stark State with a strong commitment to student success, individualized learning and the creation of supportive, engaging classroom environments. Since joining the College in 2012, she has been recognized for going above and beyond to support her students and foster their academic and professional growth. She is passionate about meeting students where they are and believes that every student learns differently and deserves the opportunity to succeed. She strives to create dynamic learning experiences that empower future nurses to build confidence, competence and critical thinking skills.

Dr. Dawson brings 18 years of critical care nursing experience to her role as an educator, with the majority of her clinical career spent at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, where she started in 2008. Her extensive clinical background enriches her teaching and allows her to connect real-world practice to student learning. She earned her Doctor of Nursing Practice from Aspen University in 2023, as well as her Master of Science in nursing education in 2013 and Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 2012 from University of Phoenix.

In addition to her teaching role, Dr. Dawson has played an integral role in the development of Stark State’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing program, supporting working registered nurses in advancing their education. As program coordinator, she has dedicated significant time and effort to ensuring the program’s quality, accessibility and continued success. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her three children, husband and two bullterriers. She frequently visits Florida with her extended family when she has time off.

Rebekkah Schmidt

Bekkah Schmidt has been an adjunct instructor at Stark State since 2023. She began her career as a high school science teacher with the Columbus Public School District in Columbus, Ohio, after earning her Bachelor of Arts in biology from Anderson University and Master of Education from The Ohio State University. Before coming to Stark State, Bekkah earned her master’s in microbiology and cell science from the University of Florida, allowing her to teach anatomy and physiology, microbiology and environmental science at the college level.

The focus of her educational background has been developing engaging, hands-on lessons that make education accessible to all individuals regardless of learning style or stage of life. She hopes that her passion for differentiated teaching strategies will continue to serve Stark State’s diverse student population as they work hard to pursue their vocational and educational goals.