Each year Iowa State employees have the chance to win employee of the year awards, nominated by their job supervisors.

Taylor Lelonek, a program specialist for the Financial Aid Office, gave an overview of the award and said it is something the Student Employment Center oversees.

“Every single year, we put out a nomination form all across campus to any individual that supervises a student employee, for them to nominate a student that they feel is going above and beyond in their role,” Lelonek said.

Lelonek said there are criteria and guidelines to follow and the students have to meet certain qualifications.

“Our nomination is open all the way until January, and then we ultimately choose a winner, and we host a reception in April where we honor all of our nominees, and then we award and announce the winner live,” Lelonek said.

The award is announced in April, including a week-long celebration for National Student Employment week.

According to Lelonek, there is one overall winner based on category guidelines.

“When a student employee is nominated, we require the nominator to write a letter, kind of summarizing how they fit into these categories, so they focus on community service, collaboration and teamwork, leadership, technology and innovation and critical thinking,” Lelonek said.

She mentioned that last year there was one winner and two students of distinction honored after the reception.

The winner is awarded a financial aid scholarship, an acrylic award and a certificate. 

“Oftentimes we have sponsors of some kind that provides a small gift as well, but that changes year to year,” Lelonek said. “Our students of distinction just get the certificate and the recognition at the ceremony.”

Furthermore, Lelonek said last year there were 35 nominees across campus.

“We have everything from students working in the dining center being nominated to people working out in vet med in, like a lab facility, so there is no stipulation about what job category they fall in,” Lelonek said.

Lelonek said the award is aimed to recognize the work that is being done. 

“Student employment is often something that goes unrecognized on campus, just for the fact that people don’t know all the things that our student employees do here at Iowa State,” Lelonek said. “Recognizing that with them, with the award, is important, but also spreading the word that the recognition piece is so important and critical to the work they do. So that’s kind of our main goal.”

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