Student of the Year Awards: Recognizing Outstanding Student Employees
Student employees make significant contributions to colleges and universities across the nation. Recognizing these contributions is essential. The National Student Employment Association (NSEA) coordinates a selection process and chooses the National Student Employee of the Year (SEOTY) to recognize the outstanding contributions and achievements of students who work while attending college. Many institutions have also established their own awards to highlight the achievements of their student employees. One such example is the Student Employee of the Year Award (SEOTY) at Florida State University (FSU).
The Importance of Student Employee Recognition
Recognizing student employees is vital for several reasons:
- Appreciation: Awards provide a way to show appreciation for the hard work and dedication of student employees. There are a wide number of ways you can do to show your appreciation for your student employees.
- Motivation: Recognition can motivate students to continue performing at a high level and encourage other students to seek on-campus employment opportunities.
- Institutional Goals: The SEOTY Award furthers institutional goal of becoming a Top 25 Public Institution.
- Highlighting Contributions: Awards highlight the valuable contributions that student employees make to their departments and the university as a whole.
The Tony DiBenedetto Student Employee of the Year Award at FSU
The Tony DiBenedetto Student Employee of the Year Award is bestowed upon the outstanding Student Employee that, on a daily basis, demonstrates strength, skill, and character while delivering exceptional customer service and always going above and beyond the duties of their role. In Spring 2015, The Career Center launched the inaugural FSU Student Employee of the Year Award (SEOTY) in order to highlight and recognize the contributions of 8,300+ on-campus FSU Student Employees.
SEOTY Award Ceremony
The Florida State University Career Center has consistently hosted the Student Employee of the Year (SEOTY) Award Ceremony:
- Inaugural Campaign: The inaugural campaign yielded 74 nominations from 29 campus units, including 22 academic departments and university partner, the National High Magnetic Laboratory. The Selection Committee was comprised of representatives from Student Financial Services, Human Resources, Office of Financial Aid, Undergraduate Studies, Office of Communications, Student Government Association, and the Division of Student Affairs.
- 2nd Annual SEOTY Award Ceremony: A total of 150 nominations were received from across campus representing diverse departments and divisions.
- 3rd Annual SEOTY Award Ceremony: A total of 150 nominations were received from across campus representing diverse departments and divisions. This number was a 100% increase from the inaugural nomination period.
- 4rd Annual SEOTY Award Ceremony: Over 80 nominations were received from across campus representing diverse departments and divisions.
- 5TH Annual SEOTY Award Ceremony: Abigail Centers advanced for consideration at the regional level through the Southern Association of Student Employment Administrators (SASEA).
- 6TH Annual SEOTY Award Ceremony.
- 7TH Annual SEOTY Award Ceremony: More than 74 nominations were received from departments and divisions from both the Tallahassee and Panama City campuses. The Torch (Customer Service) Award: Courtney B.
- 8th Annual SEOTY Award Ceremony: More than 63 nominations were received from departments and divisions from both the Tallahassee and Panama City campuses. The Vires (Initiative) Award: Steven A.
- 9th Annual SEOTY Award Ceremony.
Each year, FSU’s Tony DiBenedetto Undergraduate Student Employee of the Year winner is advanced for consideration at the regional level through the Southern Association of Student Employment Administrators (SASEA). Each year, 290 students were nominated in the region, and SASEA recognized Dain as one of three Student Employee of the Year regional honorees.
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2017 SEOTY Winners
- Mores (Character) Award: Allison Metcalf, Office of the Provost
- Torch Award: Lauren Apgar, The Career Center
- Tony DiBenedetto Overall Student Employee of the Year Award: Maria Montano, Center for Academic Retention & Enhancement
- Vires (Strength) Award: Jordan Landers, Campus Recreation
National Student Employee of the Year (SEOTY) Award
Each spring, NSEA coordinates a selection process and chooses the National Student Employee of the Year (SEOTY) to recognize the outstanding contributions and achievements of students who work while attending college. In order to be considered for this award, students from colleges and universities across the nation must be nominated and win at their institution and at the regional level.
SEOTY 2025
NSEA will hold a Student Employee of the Year process for both undergraduate and graduate students in 2025. The undergraduate process will celebrate a Student Employee of the Year for each category (see below) and the Overall Student Employee of the Year. The graduate process will celebrate one Graduate Student Employee of the Year.
The 2025 SEOTY Committee included: Char Burke, University of Texas Austin; Chrystal Grant, College of Charleston; Mary Young, Southern New Hampshire University.
2025 Timeline
- January 27, 2025 (Monday): Accepting nominations through online form (to NSEA)
- February 14, 2025 (Friday): Deadline to sign up using the NSEW Amazon Wish List From for a chance in having NSEA purchase your Amazon wishlist of up to $250!
- February 21, 2025 (Friday): Nominations due to NSEA
- February 24, 2025 (Monday): The SEOTY Committee disseminates nominations to sub-group
- March 6, 2025 (Thursday): Scoring rubric due back to SEOTY Committee
- March 7, 2025 (Friday): The SEOTY Committee meets for any tie breakers & determines the winner.
- March 14, 2025 (Friday): Notify winning institutions no later than
- April 18, 2025 (Friday): Announce Winners (on social media)
Undergraduate Student Employee of the Year
Qualifications:
- Nominating institutions must be current members of NSEA
- Students must currently be enrolled at the nominating institution
- Students must be in an undergraduate program
- Institutions may submit a different student for each category
- TA's are student employees too, please feel free to submit in any category!
Process:
- NSEA member runs the Undergraduate Student Employee of the Year process at their institutions
- NSEA member submits their SEOTY (s) for one of the categories listed below
- SEOTY task force members will lead a committee of volunteers to choose a winner in each category
- NSEA Board Members will choose the overall SEOTY from the five winners of each category
- Each winner will receive $300, with the overall SEOTY receiving an additional $300
- Each runner-up in the five (5) categories will receive $100
Categories:
- Community Service
- Diversity & Inclusion
- Leadership
- Technology & Innovation
- Critical Thinking
- Overall Student Employee of the Year
Graduate Student Employee of the Year
Qualifications:
- Nominating institutions must be current members of NSEA
- Students must currently be enrolled at the nominating institution
- Students must be in a graduate program; teaching assistants are not eligible for this award
Process:
- NSEA member runs the graduate Student Employee of the Year process at their institutions
- NSEA member submits their SEOTY nomination
- SEOTY task force members will lead a committee of volunteers to choose the Graduate Student Employee of the Year using the criteria rubric.
- The Graduate Student Employee of the Year will receive $300
Criteria:
Nomination letters are limited to two pages. When submitting a nomination for Graduate Student Employee of the Year, please make sure to speak to the following areas:
- Diversity & Inclusion: Student Employee acknowledges the support and contributions of others in achieving results; demonstrates empathy and compassion for others; is flexible, open, and receptive to new information, ideas and approaches; shows respect and value for the unique contributions of each associate.
- Impact: Student Employee suggests and helps implement an idea that has a positive, tangible impact on the department or brings positive recognition to the department.
- Professionalism, Effective Communication & Interpersonal Skills: Student Employee collaborates well with peers, manager, department leadership and unit stakeholders; Employs appropriate methods of persuasion when soliciting agreement; addresses problems constructively.
- Leadership: Student Employee is passionate about mentorship, training fellow student employees, and acts as an agent of change to support the implementation of new ideas
Submitting Nominations
The 2025 Student Employee of the Year awards are now live for submission! This is an incredibly exciting time for us to come together and celebrate the many achievements and milestones student employees have accomplished across the nation.
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There is also opportunity for members to be a part of the Nomination Review Committee! The committee will be in charge of scoring and selecting the best nominations that are submitted to NSEA.
Suggestions for Managing SEOTY
To ensure a successful Student Employee of the Year program, consider the following suggestions:
- Call for nominations: Publicize the competition widely, put it in your campus newspaper, send flyers to all departments, and announce it on your campus homepage and any departmental listserv.
- Selection committee: Be certain it's more than just faculty and administrators. Include clerical staff and one or two students (undergrad or grad). The committee should total an odd number to avoid ties when voting (five, seven, or nine members are recommended).
- Promote the nomination process: Post pictures of nominees around campus as they are received, put articles in the campus paper, on the homepage, and listserv.
- Selection criteria: Have some mechanism to consider all students equally and not give too much consideration to complex job descriptions or longevity of service.
- Award presentation: Be creative in holding virtual celebrations. Invite your campus president and additional senior leadership to speak with students, play videos of supervisors speaking about their nominees, and create a picture collage of all nominees. Have the state government issue a proclamation.
- Prizes: Arrange for cash scholarship, tuition waiver, or bookstore certificate for the winner.
Proclamation Information
- List of Proclamation Info by States: Information on how to contact your state governor concerning a Student Employee of the Year Proclamation
- Proclamation Letter Example
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