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A committee appointed by Chancellor Glenn Boyce went through dozens of nominees before selecting Tamulia Salters, associate director of admissions outreach for the , and Jeremy Griffin, associate professor of accountancy, as the winners.

The committee announced the winners Monday (May 5) at the university's spring faculty meeting. They each get $1,000 and will be recognized May 10 during Commencement.

"The Frist Student Service Award recognizes faculty and staff who exemplify the very best of our institution and our commitment to students," Boyce said.

"Jeremy Griffin and Tam Salters are outstanding examples of individuals who consistently go above and beyond. Their mentorship, encouragement and overall dedication to student success make a real difference in the lives of our students each and every day."

Griffin teaches in both the and the . His approach to mentorship and education helps students navigate career decisions, build confidence and connect with real-world opportunities, one student nominator said.

A student who nominated Griffin said the professor offered around-the-clock availability for impartial academic, professional and personal advice at a time where the student felt "lost, overwhelmed and confused." Now inspired to become a professor, the student wrote that the clarity and support Griffin offered was something the student couldn't forget if he tried.

"He shows up for students in ways that go far beyond his job description," the nominator wrote. "He gives his time, his energy and his heart. He does it quietly and consistently. Not for recognition, but because he believes in the potential of every student who walks into his classroom or office.

"(Professor Griffin) dropped whatever he was doing at the time to help me. His motto is: his students come first. He believed in me. He checked in regularly, offered advice without judgment and always made me feel like my success mattered."

A fifth-generation ²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵan, earned his undergraduate degree at Ole Miss and worked as a UM adjunct professor in 2003-05. He later was a faculty member at the University of Notre Dame, worked for a Big Four global accounting firm and managed accounting for a Water Valley manufacturing plant.

He returned to the university in 2015, shaping student success through research, mentorship and classroom engagement. Whether coaching students before networking events or introducing them resource and contacts, Griffin said he enjoys the work and its result because mentorship matters.

"I'm responsible for the next 80 years of students' lives and their career trajectory," he said. "That requires a lot of contact and feeling out what their personal objectives are because personal fulfillment and drive make a career sustainable."

Lauded for her transformational encouragement, Salters is the first point of contact for many students starting at Ole Miss.

On any given day, she's either recruiting, advising, teaching or supporting students. Many are nontraditional and transfer students, such as the nominator who met Salters to discuss finishing a four-year degree she started before life became much busier.

"Honestly, I had just had my third baby and didn't think I would have the opportunity to attend college again," the student wrote. "I thought to myself, 'I'll go to the meeting and when she tells me it's not possible, I can say I tried and check this box.'

"Tam put all my fears and uncertainty to rest, especially where financial aid and time for classes were concerned. She listened. She gave great advice. Most of all, she believed in me and helped me discover what I was truly passionate about."

Pregnant with her fourth child, that student earned her bachelor's degree in general studies along with minors in legal studies, education and psychology. Then, she landed a job as a high school career coach, writing Salters' support inspired her post-graduation career path.

"At one point towards the end, I was ready to quit but she wouldn't hear any of it," she wrote. "She warned me during our first meeting, 'At some point – probably close to your last semester, you will want to quit. Do not quit because you can do this.' I can still hear her.

"I have come full circle and have an opportunity to give back in ways I couldn't imagine. I am forever thankful for my coach, Tam Salters."

An Alcorn County native, Salters joined the campus staff as an admissions counselor in 2014. She said she earned her bachelor's and MBA without a traditional support network and now aims to be the student guide she once needed.

Receiving the award brought her to tears, a humbling reminder of why she does this work, she said.

"This, for me, is a justification of the extra hours and the late nights and the time that sometimes you feel like, are you making an impact?" Salters said. "This lets me know that I did.

"Sometimes the simplest question or email can help lighten the load of a student and they don't know the right questions to ask – or that it's even OK to ask certain questions," she said. "My faith is what keeps me going, and if I can just offer them a bit of hope, maybe they'll offer that same hope to someone in the future. The goal is for the cycle of hope to continue"

Top: Chancellor Glenn Boyce (left) presents this year's Frist Student Service Award to Tamulia Salters during the year-end faculty meeting Monday (May 5) in Fulton Chapel. Salters, associate director of admissions outreach for the University of ²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵ at Booneville, is this year's staff winner. Photo by Srijita Chattopadhyay/Ole Miss Digital Imaging Services