IN PRAISE OF Stefanie Chiras, manager, systems and technology group, IBM

“I was taking classes at Marist College and working full-time last spring when I learned that I had brain cancer. I was stunned, so when the oncology team explained the impending surgery, all I could think was, But that’s the day I’m supposed to graduate. Back at the office, I was showered with concern and support. My boss, Stefanie Chiras, got me set up to work from home and visited me in the hospital. I still needed to complete one more class after my diagnosis, but Stephanie was intent on seeing me graduate. When the college allowed me to take the class as a work-study option, she spent hours on all the paperwork. Thanks to her, I graduated on time.”

James Kyle, systems and tech development project engineer, 27-year employee