NAPW Inducts Erin Vlasek, Director of Student Services for the Vocational Independence Program at NYIT, into its 2015-2016 VIP Woman of the Year Circle
Garden City, NY (PRWEB) May 12, 2015 -- The National Association of Professional Women (NAPW) honors Erin Vlasak as a 2015-2016 inductee into the NAPW VIP Woman of the Year Circle. She is recognized with this prestigious distinction for leadership in education. With more than 700,000 members and over 200 operating Local Chapters, NAPW is the nation's leading networking organization exclusively for professional women.
“I’m pleased to honor Erin with this prestigious award,” said NAPW President Star Jones. “Her knowledge and experience in special education are valuable assets to her students and community.”
The three-year Vocational Independence Program at NYIT focuses on academics, independent living, social skills development and vocational exploration for students with special needs. For Ms. Vlasak, directing the program is a perfect fit. “Having been around mental illness my whole life and knowing how to handle difficult situations prepared me for my job today,” she says.
In the eight years since Ms. Vlasak has been at NYIT, she has touched the lives of countless students with her contributions to the social counseling, residential life and fitness programs. Using her well-honed skills in psychology, she works one-on-one with students to help them put the puzzle pieces together, one step at a time. On days when a student may regress, Ms. Vlasak is even more driven to succeed with a new plan of action to help move the student toward the end goal. One of her favorite sayings is, ‘Fall seven times, stand up eight.’
“I absolutely love being a Director of Student Services for the NYIT Vocational Independence Program. Interacting with students is my motivation, my driving force and my favorite part of the job,” says Ms. Vlasak. Self-motivated and driven to succeed, Ms. Vlasak plans to enrich the program with her diversified talents for many years to come. “I hope to be with the program until I retire. There is nothing more rewarding than having an adult reach self-determination, motivating them to take care of themselves and teaching them the skills necessary to fully function in today’s society,” she says.
About NAPW
NAPW’s mission is to provide an exclusive, highly advanced networking forum to successful women executives, professionals and entrepreneurs where they can aspire, connect and achieve. Through innovative resources, unique tools and progressive benefits, professional women interact, exchange ideas, advance their knowledge and empower each other.
Chelsea Mulligan, NAPW 2, +1 (516) 453-6132, [email protected]
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