Excellence in Service (classified)

Mia Honaker

Mia Honaker received the President’s Award for Excellence in Service due to her dedication to her job at the Asian and Native American (ANA) Center and her ability to juggle an immense amount of responsibility.

Honaker is the administrative support coordinator for the ANA Center, but her role goes far beyond what is expected of her. The ANA Center implements numerous cultural events during Native American Heritage Month and the Asian Heritage Month to promote the rich cultural diversity of our campus community. These events range from lecture series to workshops, panel discussions, film discussions, ethnic performances, a multicultural Halloween celebration and the Lunar New Year celebration.

Honaker is also involved in other activities to support students’ academic success and leadership development. She has excellent communication skills and excels at communicating and building trust with the most reticent of students.

Mai Nguyen, director of the ANA Center, admires Honaker’s ability to go above and beyond her expected duties.

“Mia wears many hats around the Asian and Native American Center,” Nguyen said. “I am impressed with her can-do attitude no matter how late she has to stay and help with some events. She always maintains a pleasant attitude with a smile on her face at the end of the day.”

Honaker’s work at the ANA Center takes many forms. She manages the budget and attends budget meetings and trainings. She ensures venues are always ready for events. She decorates the area with artificial plants, checks the media equipment to ensure it is working properly, ensures speakers have water and passes out programs and evaluation forms to all participants. She even serves as a photographer for events. Many participants who attend the ANA Center’s events always notice a warm and welcoming venue due to her meticulous preparation.

Another part of her job is running the front desk at the center. She is always cheerful and greets students with a smile. If students need help with a computer, she will sit with them and personally guide them through the process.

During Lunar New Year, she acts as a contact person with local high school teachers who plan to bring their students to the event.

During Asian Culture Night, she coordinates the arrangements and communicates all details to performers. Since many performers do not speak fluent English, Honaker patiently reviews the process with them numerous times. All the performers find her to be very helpful and friendly.

Honaker’s dedicated service is always greatly appreciated by Wright State and the Dayton community because she makes an effort to understand cultural differences and promptly respond to people’s needs.

Originally founded as a branch campus of The Ohio State University and Miami University, Wright State became an independent institution in 1967. It celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2017, culminating with a special Homecoming celebration Sept. 29 through Oct. 1.