Colby Community College equine program director and head equestrian team coach Shanda Mattix is the recipient of the 2020 Tangeman Award for Teaching Excellence. The announcement was made during the college's virtual commencement activities on May 15.

The award was established in 1988 and named after the school's second president, Dr. James Tangeman, to recognize an outstanding instructor. Each year the selection is made by a committee of previous recipients and current CCC students.

"Mrs. Mattix has a unique combination of technical experience, passion for her industry, and a love of educating students," said CCC Executive Vice President Brad Bennett.

Mattix started at CCC in 2007 as an assistant equestrian team coach and became a full-time faculty member in 2009. She is vice president of the CCC Faculty Alliance and also advises the CCC Farm Bureau Chapter.

"It's an honor to receive the Tangeman award," she said. "I'm proud to be a part of CCC and love the community of Colby. I find a lot of joy in sharing my passion for the equine and agriculture industries with my students."

Outside of her college responsibilities, Mattix serves on the Kansas Horse Council board of directors and is the director of Kansas Horse Council Region 1. She is a state-certified horse show judge and volunteers in a variety of capacities in 4-H, as well as staying active in the First Presbyterian Church. She is a master riding instructor through the Certified Horsemanship Association and serves as the Kansas CHA director and a director for CHA Region 9. Her hobbies include creating and repurposing furniture and home decor for her small business, Barnwood & Bling.

A graduate of Colby High School and Colby Community College, Mattix grew up on a commercial cow-calf operation in northwest Kansas. As a child, she showed quarter horses and competed in barrel racing and horse judging contests. In college, she rode for the CCC and Kansas State University varsity equestrian teams and was a regional qualifier all four years.

Shanda and husband Caleb live in Colby with their daughter Morgan and son Rawlins as they continue raising the Draper family's commercial cattle herd.