This month’s Hero Award recipients are Justin Rubin, senior academic advisor in graduate business programs for the Ed G. Smith College of Business; Candace Alba-Marshall, program coordinator II for Mental Health First Aid in Missouri as part of the Missouri Institute of Mental Health; and Brienna Manore, director of the Advanced Credit Program. (Photos by Derik Holtmann)
University of Missouri–St. Louis Interim Chancellor Chris Spilling and his cabinet continue to recognize the exemplary efforts of staff and faculty members from across campus by bestowing the UMSL Hero Award on up to three individuals each month.
This month’s honorees are Justin Rubin, senior academic advisor in graduate business programs for the Ed G. Smith College of Business; Candace Alba-Marshall, program coordinator II for Mental Health First Aid in Missouri as part of the Missouri Institute of Mental Health; and Brienna Manore, director of the Advanced Credit Program.
Justin Rubin
Rubin earned his degree in hospitality, but the principles he learned in that field have proved just as valuable in his career in higher education. Building relationships, anticipating people’s needs and going the extra mile to help them succeed are central to both.
“It’s customer service at the end of the day,” Rubin said. “It’s working with people, getting to know them and going above and beyond to be as helpful as possible.”
As a senior academic adviser for graduate business programs in the College of Business, Rubin puts that philosophy into practice every day. He guides students from their first inquiries about graduate degrees through course registration and graduation, helping them find what they need to succeed.
Such a position wasn’t originally on Rubin’s career path.
A graduate of Lindbergh High School, Rubin earned his hospitality degree from Missouri State University in 2014 and began working as a premium services coordinator for Delaware North, the hospitality unit of the St. Louis Cardinals. But he realized that he wanted a career in higher education, so he went to Southern Illinois University Edwardsville to get a master’s degree in education focused on college student personnel administration.
From there, Rubin said it was “dumb luck” that brought him to UMSL in April 2018, initially as an undergraduate academic adviser in the College of Business. However, Yuan Chen, director of student success in the College of Business, said UMSL has benefitted greatly from Rubin’s contributions.
“Justin’s dedication to student success, commitment to collaboration and positive presence make him an outstanding colleague and a strong example of the qualities represented by an UMSL Hero,” Chen wrote in nominating Rubin. “We are fortunate to have Justin as part of the Student Success team.”
Rubin, who also serves on the UMSL Staff Council, transitioned to graduate advising during the summer of 2022. The positive relationships he had built with academic advisers during his own college experience spurred his desire to offer students the same kind of guidance and support that had helped him.
That work starts with getting to know students as individuals, particularly graduate students balancing school with careers, families and other responsibilities. Rubin helps prospective students identify the degree that best fits their goals, then works with them throughout their studies, connecting them with faculty and campus resources along the way.
“Being able to have that relationship throughout their entire one to three years, whatever it might end up being, is really what I enjoy quite a bit,” he said.
As a first-generation college student, Rubin appreciates UMSL’s role as a public university serving students from a wide range of backgrounds. He also credits his colleagues and supervisors for providing the support and resources that allow him to do his job well.
“The faculty and my coworkers, my fellow staff in the College of Business, it’s definitely a credit to them,” he said. “They always put me in an easy position to do my job.”
After more than eight years at UMSL, Rubin said the people remain what make the university special. Helping students build connections and seeing them reach graduation are among the most rewarding parts of his work.
“By the end, students might have connected with Career Services, met someone in the Millennium Student Center or made a lifelong connection with a faculty member,” Rubin said. “That’s the kind of stuff that’s really special to me.”
Candace Alba-Marshall
Alba-Marshall wants people to feel confident helping someone experiencing a mental health or substance use crisis. Through her work, she equips people with the knowledge and practical tools to recognize warning signs and offer support when it matters most.
As a program coordinator with Mental Health First Aid in Missouri – part of UMSL’s Missouri Institute of Mental Health – she helps organize training that functions much like a basic first aid course, preparing participants to recognize when someone may be struggling and respond in a supportive, informed way.
Alba-Marshall said many people want to help someone experiencing a mental health crisis but worry about saying the wrong thing.
“We know exactly what to do when someone physically injures themselves,” she said. “But for some reason, we tend to be a little more standoffish or unsure of ourselves when someone has a mental health or substance use crisis.”
Mental Health First Aid aims to replace that uncertainty with practical skills and the confidence to use them. The program’s reach has grown substantially during the 13-plus years Alba-Marshall has been involved with it.
When she began, approximately 1 million people nationwide had received Mental Health First Aid training. The program has since surpassed 5 million trained participants, with a long-term goal of reaching 20 million people, and Alba-Marshall said that Mental Health First Aid USA has launched a #BeThe1in15 campaign that seeks to provide training for at least one in every 15 Americans.
“The idea is that most people have a core group of about 15 people that they regularly reach out to,” Alba-Marshall explained. “If at least one of those people is mental health first aid trained, then we think that you’re going to be able to get the support that you need at that time.”
Alba-Marshall’s commitment to this work grew out of her earlier experiences in higher education.
A native of Long Beach, California, Alba-Marshall moved to Rolla , Missouri, with her husband in the mid-2000s to support her mother-in-law, who grew up in the region and had recently returned. Alba-Marshall spent just under nine years working in student life at Missouri University of Science and Technology, where she saw the effects of mental health challenges and substance use crises on young people and their communities.
Those experiences reinforced her belief that students and the people who support them need practical training to recognize warning signs and intervene appropriately.
When she and her husband moved to the St. Louis area, Alba-Marshall found an opportunity to continue working in higher education through MIMH. She quickly embraced the program’s potential to make a difference beyond the university, training people throughout Missouri and working with educators and other community members. She also sees the work as an extension of UMSL’s commitment to the St. Louis region.
“UMSL is about St. Louis, and what we do here is about the community of St. Louis and how we can support this community,” Alba-Marshall said.
In nominating her for the UMSL Hero Award, Amy Bartels, assistant director of Mental Health First Aid Missouri, touted Alba-Marshall as an invaluable member of the team who keeps the statewide Mental Health First Aid program running smoothly through her organizational skills, strong relationships with instructors and community partners, and ability to manage complex logistics and competing priorities.
“Her dedication behind the scenes enables our program to reach thousands of Missourians each year,” Bartels wrote. “She exemplifies the spirit of a hero through her outstanding service, reliability, and unwavering commitment to the mission of the University of Missouri System.”
Brienna Manore
Manore couldn’t have imagined that she would remain at UMSL so long after graduating, but now she can’t imagine being anywhere else.
A graduate of Fort Zumwalt West High School in O’Fallon, Missouri, Manore transferred to UMSL in the fall of 2018 after stints at Jackson State University and St. Charles Community College. She quickly realized UMSL was a special place where she wanted to spend more time, prompting her to apply for an office support job with the Advanced Credit Program.
“I really loved my experience on campus, all the events, getting to know the staff and the faculty here,” she said. “I immediately felt very welcomed here.”
Manore earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration in May 2020, and soon after, she took a position as a business support specialist in ACP. Manore said over the next few years, she occasionally considered switching departments, thinking that she should pursue something more in line with her business degree, but the desire to stay was too strong.
Ultimately, Manore would be named the director of ACP in early 2025, overseeing the program that allows high school students to earn college and high school credit simultaneously. It serves students throughout the St. Louis region and beyond, extending its reach across much of Missouri and into southwestern Illinois.
“I didn’t really see this for myself, but it went from being just a job to a passion as I was here,” she said. “I really started to love this work, doing what I do and serving the people that I serve, and I’m so glad that things have worked out the way that they did.”
Under her leadership, the program continues to grow. This year, it reached a record 8,000 students, reinforcing Manore’s commitment to maintaining the quality of what is the state’s largest dual credit provider and one of only 136 programs across the country accredited by the National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships, having recently earned reaccreditation through 2033.
“I have a lot of pride in this position,” said Manore, who earned a master’s degree in business administration in May and has set her sights on entering UMSL’s DBA program. “I feel a great sense of responsibility to do well here.”
Channon Peoples, the executive director of UMSL’s Bridge Program, cited Manore’s early success in the role, leading the department through the rigorous process of achieving NACEP reaccreditation, in nominating her for the UMSL Hero Award.
“Brienna is a steady force, highly intelligent, and a true joy to work with,” Peoples wrote. “Her leadership, collaboration and unwavering commitment to expanding educational access make her exceptionally deserving of the UMSL Hero Award.”
Manore said the honor was a welcome surprise, particularly as she continues adjusting to the responsibilities of her new position.
“It’s good to know that people feel like I’m not just showing up and coming to work,” she said. “That I’m going above and beyond my daily duties to be a part of the UMSL community and be part of what makes this place great.”
