Millikin student workers recognized

Shawna Vaughn
staff writer

The Career and Experiential Education Center (CEEC) will be sponsoring National Student Employee Appreciation week for the first time from April 11-15.

Beginning Feb. 28, the CEEC, responsible for posting and promoting work study listings and helping students find jobs on and off campus, began awarding Student Employees of the Week and will continue to award them until April 11.

CEEC director Pam Folger stated that Student Employee Appreciation Week gives Millikin University the opportunity to “recognize and celebrate student workers.”

Student Employment Advisor/JLD Coordinator Kate Williston explained that a Student Employee Appreciation Committee accepted nominations for Student Employees of the Week for two weeks. Members of this committee include Staley Library Circulation Associate Gavena Dahlman, Sodexho Supervisor Kathy Emory, Secretary to the Vice President Sonya Woodrum, Admission Counselor and Coordinator Jaron Moulton, Political Science Department Chair Brian Posler and Kirkland Box Office Manager Jan Saddoris-Traughber.

Sophomore Jen Nafzinger, who was acknowledged as one of the student employees of the week for her dedicated work in the Residence Life office, commented that Student Employee Appreciation Week is “a great way to recognize people,” including herself and other student workers, who “keep the university running with all the small tasks we do.”

Student employees are evaluated on their reliability, quality of work, initiative, professionalism and uniqueness of contribution. To be eligible for the 2005 Student Employee of the Year, undergraduate students must be employed on campus at institutions that have at least one employee who is a member of the Midwest Association of Student Employment Administrators/National Student Employment Administrators. Graduate students working student employee jobs are also eligible at the institution’s discretion.

Students must have been employed for a minimum of three months full-time or six months part-time, between June 1, 2004 and May 31, 2005, to be eligible.

According to Folger, student employment offers a wide variety of jobs, including paraprofessional jobs, which allow students to develop career-related skills and help “better prepare students for the job market.”

Past Student Employees of the Week have included Level II Technicians Ryan Tucker, John Kerry O’Donnell and Alex Nation, student assistant Desarae Eck, student manager Jennifer Nafziger, serving learning Van driver/career specialist Trey Hill, RTUC building manager Anthony Gill, student assistant Nichole Coers, and student worker Megan M. Freeman.

On April 11, the first day of Student Employee Appreciation Week, the Student Employee of the Year will be announced.

As part of this week, dedicated to honoring Millikin’s diligent student workers, the bulletin board “Caught in the Act,” located outside of the CEEC in Shilling 103, recognizes hard-working and greatly appreciated student employees.

Student Employees of the Week have been awarded with prizes, which have included $10 gift certificates for the bookstore, Sodexho, Lock, Stock and Barell, Jimmy John’s, Mi Pueblito and The Main Place. The Student Employee of the Month will be awarded with a $30 gift certificate to Tuscany restaurant.

Folger commented that the Student Employee of the Month award will “increase awareness of the contribution of students.”

Williston added that this award will allow the Millikin community “to see what other people do, because when you’re in your own department, you might not know what is going on outside.”

Since Student Employee Appreciation Week is a new way to recognize student workers essential to the daily success of Millikin’s campus, more nominations are expected next year. A Student Employee of the Month will also be awarded each month throughout the 2005-2006 school year.

To the top