The James J. Gallagher Award is given annually to two employees of UNC’s Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute (FPG) in recognition of their contributions and dedication to the FPG community. Named after the former FPG director who served from 1970 to 1987, the award honors permanent, full-time employees for their exemplary attitudes and commitment to FPG by going above and beyond their given duties and roles to positively impact and enhance the overall environment of the Institute.

This year, FPG is pleased to recognize both Technical Assistance Specialist Jessica Amsbary and Research Associate Sarah Wackerhagen for their outstanding service to the Institute.

There’s an often-shared quote by the late famous TV personality Mr. Rogers that includes advice from his mother to “Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.” While the original context of this advice—it was to help a young Rogers cope with frightening news—isn't in play here, it is, generally speaking, great advice and is likely impetus for nominating and selecting our current and former awardees.

Reading the many nominations for this year’s awardees brings to mind another Rogers quote, “If you could only sense how important you are to the lives of those you meet; how important you can be to the people you may never even dream of. There is something of yourself that you leave at every meeting with another person.”

With this award, we hope that Amsbary and Wackerhagen now sense how important they are to the FPG community.

Across the nominations for Amsbary and Wackerhagen, a theme rang true: They are true helpers—and connectors—who make incredible contributions to the FPG community and make indelible impressions on pretty much everyone they meet—at FPG and beyond.

About Amsbary, a nominator said, “Jessica is a great joy to work with … she often goes over and beyond to help us organize team building meet ups and meals, and makes it a point to make everyone feel welcome and included. She has also often gone over and beyond to lend a hand to community partners. Jessica doesn't do this to earn brownie points—she does it with much grace and joy. She also is deeply committed to ensuring the success of students and other staff members.”

Nominations submitted for Wackerhagen also brimmed with praise for her willingness to go above and beyond—and to ensure people feel welcome and included at FPG.

About Wackerhagen, one colleague shared, “Sarah is one of the most helpful, inclusive, and thoughtful teammates I've ever had the privilege of working with … At FPG events, Sarah is the connector; she introduces people and helps to build the FPG community beyond departments. She does this in such a skillful way, sharing some fun facts or anecdotes about the people she's connecting. She truly embodies this inclusive spirit, wanting to ensure that everyone is welcome and seen.” And another shared, “Sarah is always willing to help in any way possible. She goes above and beyond for everyone. She is always ready to help you, always wanting to learn and grow in every way possible, and is so deserving of this award.”

And this colleague’s nomination echoes what those quoted above and many others shared, “I am honored to nominate my colleague Sarah for the James J. Gallagher Award. Sarah embodies the qualities of helpfulness, positivity, and kindness in everything she does. Her consistently great attitude brings light to every situation, and she always goes out of her way to lend a hand whenever it's needed. Sarah has an incredible ability to put a smile on people’s faces, no matter how challenging the day might be. Her genuine care for her colleagues and her willingness to step up and support others, both professionally and personally, make her an invaluable member of our team and the FPG community.”

When asked what receiving the Gallagher Award means to her, Wackerhagen had this to say, “When I first heard that I’d won the award, what came to mind immediately was how appreciated I feel, which is a truly good feeling. And then when I heard how many of my colleagues nominated me, that feeling was multiplied immensely.”

And when asked what receiving the Gallagher Award means to her, Amsbary shared, “It really is such an amazing honor to be recognized as one of the Gallagher Staff Award recipients. Honestly, working with everyone at FPG truly is an honor in and of itself—we have a shared goal of supporting all children and families to reach optimal outcomes. Being honored for doing this work is motivation to do more and do better, and I know that is what FPG will continue to do.”

The Gallagher Award committee is comprised of previous recipients of this honor, and this year included: Ann Sam, Barbara Lowery, Stephen McKinney, Natalie Nelson.

Amsbary and Wackerhagen, like the Gallagher Award winners before them, are very deserving of this honor and we congratulate them both—and thank the award committee for their work in helping recognize Amsbary’s and Wackerhagen’s stellar contributions to FPG.