Employee of the Month - August 2024
Ashley Frederick, Front Office Coordinator
Bob Murphy Access Center
Awarded Monday, August 5, 2024, via Zoom Virtual celebration. Ashley was joined by President Jane Close Conoley, numerous Division of Student Affairs and campus colleagues, her mother, sister, and friends.
According to the most recent data published by the National Center for Education Statistics, 20% of undergraduate students and 11% of graduate students have a disability. There is a discrepancy between the rate of students reporting having a disability, and those who actually register with their campus disability center. Across the CSU, only 5% of students with disabilities register with their campuses which leads to a large support gap that is largely attributed to students' sense of belonging and the presence of stigma.
Ashley Frederick works as the Front Office Coordinator in the Bob Murphy Access Center (BMAC), helping to support many students as they register within the office. Mary Nguyen, Director of BMAC said, “With her additional skillset of American Sign Language, students of various disabilities have been expressing to us how she helps them to feel comfortable with disclosing their disabilities and being open to receiving support with BMAC accommodations.
“To show how extraordinary this simple experience is, these students have been returning to BMAC, and bringing their friends to meet Ashley. They have asked her to help their friends to register with BMAC, which shows how Ashley is bringing down barriers in making these students feel welcomed and valued in BMAC and on campus.
“We are so appreciative of Ashley's work with our students and how she is always so welcoming to everyone that comes in. We see her love of our students in every word and action, and additionally value her humor and positivity within our team.”
Ashley graduated from CSULB in 2022, earning her Bachelor of Art in American Sign Language Linguistics and Deaf Studies. After she graduated from CSU Long Beach, she began to pursue her career in supporting the deaf community and the disability community, respectively; and discovered BMAC.
Ashley shared, “It brings me pride and joy to know that, as an Alumni, I am able to give back to the university in a very supportive way!”
She is passionate about her work, “I love contributing in BMAC’s mission of providing accessibility accommodations for students with disabilities, helping to erase stigma, and providing a source of compassion while they are pursuing their careers…Throughout my time working in customer service, I find that, as human beings, sometimes a listening ear with a smile can make all the difference in the world.