Supervisor of the Year 2024 Nominees

While I am uncertain of the specific designation, I believe our student supervisors to be David Maseroni or Joseph Bembry; I wish to nominate them due to their exceptional leadership and contributions to the Student Help Desk in Edison. As an employee of the Student Technology Assistant Program (STAP), I have had the privilege of witnessing firsthand the positive impact they have had on our work environment and the student employees. In contrast to previous jobs where I often experienced a sense of dread or anxiety before starting a shift, my experience at STAP is different; I consistently feel excited to go to the help desk and eager to contribute to the team.

They consistently exhibit kindness, respect, and gratitude towards all student employees at STAP. Their respectful treatment creates a welcoming atmosphere where we feel valued and appreciated. Whenever there is a task to be done, whether it’s fixing a printer or addressing a tech issue, they approach us with politeness and express sincere gratitude for our efforts, fostering a culture of mutual respect and appreciation. David, Joesph, and other Information Support staff take an active interest in our lives, offering advice, guidance, and support when needed. This level of support extends beyond work-related matters; for example, I was able to share personal medical concerns with an employee who subsequently recommended a nearby doctor. Furthermore, I appreciate the support Joseph provided when I expressed interest in pursuing a graduate assistantship and the assistance David offered in securing a job for my sister on campus. We commute to campus and often must wait hours for each other, or our next class and he was very understanding of the situation and gave her guidance on how to apply. I always enjoy it when they come to the student desk area and have just a typical conversation with me and my coworkers. Their approachability and willingness to listen builds a relationship and safe space where I feel comfortable asking questions or for guidance without fear of judgement and always expect patience and understanding in return.

In addition, David and Joseph actively promote camaraderie and teamwork among the student employees at STAP and the positive work environment fosters strong relationships among student employees. I have developed friendships with all my coworkers, and it is always a lively and enjoyable environment when a group of us are working together. Our supervisors encouraging these friendships allows us to enjoy our time together while fulfilling our job responsibilities, making it a productive place where we look forward to coming to work every day.

In conclusion, I am immensely grateful for the opportunity to work in STAP and for the supervisors and individuals who contribute to making it a fun, safe, and reliable experience. David Maseroni and Joseph Bembry are great leaders whose dedication to creating a positive, supportive, and inclusive work environment is truly commendable. I wholeheartedly believe that their contributions and the other information support staff members deserve recognition, and I am grateful for the opportunity to work under their guidance.

Dr. Fury embodies a plethora of outstanding qualities that make him an excellent recipient for the Supervisor of the Year award. For instance, his friendly disposition and passion for his work create a comfortable and enthusiastic environment that both the tutors and tutees enjoy being in. He also truly cares about his employees’ well-being, as he has an open-door policy and makes a point to organize meetings at the beginning and end of each semester where he checks in to ensure everyone feels safe and happy in the workplace. Since the Writing Service Team consists of professors, adjuncts, and undergraduate and graduate students, these gatherings also allow all the employees to get to know each other and work better as a team. The crew certainly agrees that the job would not be the same without him, as he is a mentor whom we aspire to emulate. Nonetheless, not only is Dr. Fury a good boss, but, more importantly, he is a good person, which makes him excel in all roles, including Director of Writing Services, Senior Lecturer, Thesis Adviser, and Academic Advisor.

While I am uncertain of the specific designation, I believe our student supervisors to be David Maseroni or Joseph Bembry; I wish to nominate them due to their exceptional leadership and contributions to the Student Help Desk in Edison. As an employee of the Student Technology Assistant Program (STAP), I have had the privilege of witnessing firsthand the positive impact they have had on our work environment and the student employees. In contrast to previous jobs where I often experienced a sense of dread or anxiety before starting a shift, my experience at STAP is different; I consistently feel excited to go to the help desk and eager to contribute to the team.

They consistently exhibit kindness, respect, and gratitude towards all student employees at STAP. Their respectful treatment creates a welcoming atmosphere where we feel valued and appreciated. Whenever there is a task to be done, whether it’s fixing a printer or addressing a tech issue, they approach us with politeness and express sincere gratitude for our efforts, fostering a culture of mutual respect and appreciation. David, Joesph, and other Information Support staff take an active interest in our lives, offering advice, guidance, and support when needed. This level of support extends beyond work-related matters; for example, I was able to share personal medical concerns with an employee who subsequently recommended a nearby doctor. Furthermore, I appreciate the support Joseph provided when I expressed interest in pursuing a graduate assistantship and the assistance David offered in securing a job for my sister on campus. We commute to campus and often must wait hours for each other, or our next class and he was very understanding of the situation and gave her guidance on how to apply. I always enjoy it when they come to the student desk area and have just a typical conversation with me and my coworkers. Their approachability and willingness to listen builds a relationship and safe space where I feel comfortable asking questions or for guidance without fear of judgement and always expect patience and understanding in return.

In addition, David and Joseph actively promote camaraderie and teamwork among the student employees at STAP and the positive work environment fosters strong relationships among student employees. I have developed friendships with all my coworkers, and it is always a lively and enjoyable environment when a group of us are working together. Our supervisors encouraging these friendships allows us to enjoy our time together while fulfilling our job responsibilities, making it a productive place where we look forward to coming to work every day.

In conclusion, I am immensely grateful for the opportunity to work in STAP and for the supervisors and individuals who contribute to making it a fun, safe, and reliable experience. David Maseroni and Joseph Bembry are great leaders whose dedication to creating a positive, supportive, and inclusive work environment is truly commendable. I wholeheartedly believe that their contributions and the other information support staff members deserve recognition, and I am grateful for the opportunity to work under their guidance.

Good afternoon and thank you for considering Ms. Doris Meyer for the honor of Supervisor of the Year. Ms. Meyer, or Doris as we know her around the honors school, plays an integral role in the honors program. Though in the background and often missed in recognitions, she is essential to the function of the honors school, a large portion of which is the Peer Mentor program.

The Honors School Peer Mentor program places incoming honors freshmen under the mentorship of a peer mentor designed to help them acclimate to college. I have worked as a mentor for three years now. The program is invaluable and a hallmark of the honors experience. To the mentors, it means looking after three to four, first-year students through the academic year and checking in with them regularly. At times, this has meant supporting through difficult roommate events, challenging classes, and more than once, bereavement. Four mentees can be a lot to handle at times. Still, Doris, on top of all her other responsibilities within the honors school, oversees the peer mentor experience for every first-year honors student at Monmouth. This means–though I am sure I am missing portions as she regularly works behind the curtain– onboarding at least one graduate assistant, training approximately twenty-five peer mentors, running logistics for the Honors Retreat, and then continuing to oversee the work of the mentors for the entire year. Common among all of these efforts is a desire to provide student employees with the training, tools, and support they need, and then allow them to serve in their respective capacities. Doris is a supervisor who believes in empowerment.

Additionally, though I do not work in this role, I know that she oversees the office workers employed by the honors school who run routine operations of the office. Although I don’t know the total number off the top of my head, Doris likely oversees the work of more than thirty student employees.

Ms. Doris Meyer is an unsung hero of this institution, deserving of its highest honors. She is deeply committed to the principles of service both in her supervisory role and in other capacities. Students and faculty have much to learn from her example. If you find it beneficial, I can be reached at the email below for additional comments. Thank you for your time in reading this nomination. I hope that you will choose Ms. Doris Meyer as Supervisor of the Year at Monmouth University.

I am nominating Pat for the Supervisor of the Year award for 2024 because he truly exemplifies what it means to be a leader. I have been working under Pat for Athletics Event Staff for a little over a year now. Since my interview for the job, Pat has been nothing but a role model for me. He consistently demonstrates kindness towards his employees and anyone involved in the event for the day. This helps to create a positive work environment because we are able to feed off of his energy and translate that out towards our work of setting up events, conversing with guests, and cleaning up. Pat is also very intelligent. Whenever any of us have a question, he never hesitates to answer regardless of the situation. He also provides us with these insights so we are able to get a deeper understanding as to why we do things a certain way. To add to that, he has a lot of information about Monmouth Athletics, and always wants what’s best for us student workers, as well as the overall atmosphere of this university.

Being one myself, Pat has a lot of student athlete workers as well. With that being said, he is a huge supporter of all his athletes. He always follows up about games, and he even took the trip to Hofstra University twice to watch my team (women’s soccer) compete in our conference quarter and semi final games this past season. With having over 10 people on the women’s soccer team working for Pat, we were all super stoked that he was able to make the trip. It only enhanced the amount of support he has for us not only as his employees, but for what we do as student athletes. Pat goes above and beyond to create a sense of connection to his employees to create a community within our work environment.

Pat possesses various leadership qualities that are essential for supervising a team. He is always cool, calm, and collected, and will always be ready for anything. He is capable of effectively communicating with his workers in a way that promotes a smooth workflow. He always makes sure all his employees feel supported inside and outside of work. Overall, Pat consistently shows a combination of kindness, leadership, and dedication to his supervisor role and all of his employees. He is really someone I look up to and would like to be like one day. His strong efforts to be the best every day is what makes him a standout supervisor who is deserving of the Supervisor of the Year Award for 2024!

– Julianna Caccamo

Pat is the co-leader of the event staff, the group of student workers at sporting events. He has worked here for many years and knows everything there is to know about Monmouth athletics. He is truly an excellent and above and beyond supervisor. Also, he oversees over 70 event staff workers. He works tirelessly to make sure we all get shifts and hours, while also checking each and every one of our timesheets to make sure there are no errors. In addition, he oversees the hiring of new employees and he does it all with a smile on his face. I have never had such an approachable and kind leader in my life before Pat. On the job, he is efficient and effective in communicating what needs done, without sounding rude and demanding like others sometimes do. I am from the soccer team here at Monmouth, so sometimes our schedule can be very crazy. While in season, Pat is very considerate of our game schedule and being sure not to overwork us, while still allowing us to pick up shifts when we can. After a big loss in our post- season where we were all feeling down, he gave us the weekend off even though it was a big game for our football team because he cares about us as people and our mental health and not just as bodies who do work. We appreciate the gestures like those where he reminds us how truly kind and thoughtful he is daily.

He knows all 70+ workers by name and will happily say hello to us when we pass by. He’s a welcoming face in the athletic building and community and he does so much beyond that required of his job. He helps our team and our players as well as all the other workers he has as well. Even if sometimes we can only work parts of shifts, we can always count on Pat to help us organize the schedule and make it possible for us to work. He is encouraging and flexible with our busy college, student-athlete lives. I can confidently say that no supervisor at Monmouth does more with such little credit than Patrick Pagano. He deserves the recognition for his devotion to the athletics at Monmouth and the care he puts into so many of the students’ lives here. That is why I nominate him for supervisor of the year, seeing as he is truly deserving and proves that every day on and off the job.

– Liza Suydam

Patrick Pagano is an outstanding supervisor for Event Staff. He makes new members feel welcome and gives clear instructions and support so that everyone feels comfortable and equipped to do their job well. Pat creates a team culture in which everyone is encouraged to work together to accomplish the goal of ensuring that all athletics events run smoothly and professionally. In fact, I have made so many new friends through my time as an Event Staff member. Another great quality of Pat is that he encourages leadership and teamwork by assigning small groups to particular tasks. For example, now that I have been a member of Event Staff for over two years, Pat gives me opportunities to step-up and lead the newer members. Thus, he has helped me to develop my leadership skills.

As a supervisor, Pat does an excellent job of balancing professionalism and fun. He knows when it is time to be serious, and he also allows us to have lots of fun while working. Every time a request for work goes out, I sign-up right away. I genuinely love going to work, and as I reflect on my time at Monmouth, I can honestly say that working this job has been one of the biggest highlights for me.

What stands out most about Pat is the way that he genuinely cares about his students. Pat goes above and beyond to support us in all that we do. I am a member of the Monmouth Women’s Soccer Team, and over half of my team works for Event Staff. This past season, Pat drove all the way to Long Island to come support us in our playoff match against Hofstra. When we saw him there at half time, the mood of our team was instantly lifted. In fact, we ended up coming back and winning the game, and I think seeing Pat there was the spark that we needed. Additionally, after losing in the championship match, Pat made a group chat with all of us and sent an incredibly thoughtful message that made all of us feel very loved and supported. Clearly, Pat has gone above and beyond to make an impact on his students. I will never forget those little moments.

I joined Event Staff to earn some extra money in college, but I never imagined that this would turn into one of the greatest experiences of college for me. Pat is more than a boss; he is a role model, a supporter, and someone we can always count on. Everytime I walk into work I have a smile on my face. Pat has created an environment where people love to work, and he has left an impact on me and my fellow students that is truly special.

– Rachel Ludwick

I am honored to nominate Bea Rogers for the Student Employer Supervisor of the Year 2024. Bea Rogers has been my supervisor since January 2022. Since then, Bea has been an amazing supervisor, mentor, and leader. She fosters an environment of growth, support, and excellence for both myself and numerous other students.

Under Bea’s guidance, I have had the privilege of being a peer-assisted learning leader (PALs) for Cell and Molecular Biology {BY 110}. From the moment I started this position two years ago, Bea has been helpful and supportive. She regularly checks in and meets with her student employees. She genuinely cares about how the students are doing in the class and comes up with solutions as to what we as PALs do to enhance our time with students. She also is in contact with the professors that have PALs in their classes and listens to their feedback. Bea is a strong advocate for PAL and other peer mentorship and she believes that it is important in which I agree. Many students have reported doing better in the class after coming to my group sessions.Whenever there is an issue or a question or a concern, Bea will answer within the same day. If Ineed white board markers, snacks for students, review materials, or ideas to engage students, Beawill have them available. Her guidance has made working as PAL an amazing experience .

In January 2023, Bea appointed me the honor of serving as the Team Leader for BY 110. This position has been a fantastic leadership opportunity and I appreciate her willingness to empower students to take on leadership roles.

Last winter I applied for a very selective internship with NOAA called NOAA Fisheries Inclusive Fisheries (IN FISH) program. Bea went out of her way to write me a letter of recommendation. Out of 560 applicants, only 18 people throughout the United States were selected including myself. I accredited part of my success in obtaining that internship due to Bea’s fantastic recommendation letter. Currently I am in the process of applying to 6 graduate schools and Bea wrote me letters of recommendation for all 6. She sends them in a timely manner which is very appreciative and thoughtful. Bea as a supervisor is not required to write her students recommendation letters, but she does anyways because she wants to see her students succeed.

To conclude, Bea is more than deserving of the title of Student Employer Supervisor of the Year 2024. Her unwavering dedication to student success, commitment to fostering an inclusive and empowering environment, and her care for what she does make her a true role model and inspiration to everyone that has the privilege of working with her. As a senior, I am profoundly grateful for the impact that she has had on my professional and academic journey, and I wholeheartedly endorse her nomination for Student Employer Supervisor of the Year 2024

I am writing to nominate Julie Stankiewicz for the Supervisor of the Year award. As an employee who has also had the opportunity to be coached by Julie on the swim team, I have seen Julie’s exceptional qualities and dedication to making the Monmouth pool a better place.

I have been a lifeguard at Monmouth University since the spring of my freshman year. Being a senior now, I have worked under multiple aquatic directors, providing me with the opportunity to compare and analyze the different workstyles and leadership of each director. Julie has undoubtedly shown commitment to bettering the Monmouth pool. Julie is always quick to answer our questions, even if it is a 9:30 pm text asking about closing the pool. She has also been incredibly flexible with our schedules. We have over 25 lifeguards, yet Julie has delegated the shifts perfectly, with each of the 25 lifeguards offered plenty of hours. In some years past, the lifeguard program has lacked enough guards or coverage; however, I feel that having 25 guards is a testament of Julie’s generosity, productivity, and leadership. If a shift is offered in the lifeguard group chat, the shift is normally taken within seconds.

Outside of the lifeguard staff, the community members that swim during open-swim hours are also grateful for Julie’s management of the pool. When the community members complain about the pool temperature or water clarity, Julie immediately contacts maintenance to fix the issues at hand. During the winter seasons, Julie created a schedule to allot time for three different swim teams in addition to the Monmouth University swim team. Occasionally, there have been high school swim meets, and Julie ensures that the meets run smoothly with the correct timing system, officials, and other supporting staff. I have never seen Julie “drop the ball” with her work, delegating tasks gracefully and professionally. Julie has made working at the Monmouth pool as unproblematic and blissful as possible. That being said, Julie takes a preventative approach to avoid arising issues. For example, some staff members forget to take the chemicals of the pool from time to time. Julie is attentive to detail, and immediately will alert staff members of wrong-doings and forgetfulness. Julie will also send out a list of lifeguard expectations frequently to remind us of our responsibilities.

Above all else, Julie is a respected director. Julie is respected by the community, the community swim teams, the Monmouth swim team, and the Monmouth pool employees. Being a swimmer under Julie has granted me the opportunity to see her determination and hard work. Her leadership style emphasizes open communication and collaboration. Julie is very approachable, and constructs her program based on feedback and productivity. Julie’s concern for the well-being of the community and her staff has led me to write this nomination. I have spoken with the lifeguards, and on behalf of the entire Monmouth lifeguarding staff, I wholeheartedly believe that Julie is most deserving of the Supervisor of the Year award. I appreciate you taking the time to read my nomination.

Sincerely,
Maggie Young

To Whom It May Concern:

I am writing to nominate Julie Stankiewicz for the supervisor of the year at Monmouth University. Now in my second year of working for Julie, and third year as a pool lifeguard, I can attest that she is the greatest boss of any Monmouth student employment job. Seeing Julie at work always brightens my day and she pushes me to be the best natatorium lifeguard I can be. She encourages me to dive deeper and truly find my passion as a lifesaver and pay close attention to the pool chemicals. She never fails to remind us that our line of work truly saves lives and that there is no job more important than that.

In addition to her uplifting spirit and motivational energy, she is always available by phone to answer and help with any issues we have at work, even if we lose the pool key, or mess up the chemicals at 9:30 pm.

Julie trends the perfect line of being an empathetic drill sergeant over themeticulous and important rules of wearing our guard shirt and being on time. Theseare skills that will benefit me long after my tenure as a pool lifeguard at Monmouthand will give me the keys to succeed in my career.

Ultimately, I would not want to work for anyone other than Julie, and I look forward to working for her next year while pursuing an MBA at night. I am lucky enough to have Julie as not only a boss, but a mentor, and swim coach.

Regards,
Gavin Loughlin

Working for Career Development has been a transformative, memorable, and amazing experience, and that is all because of our amazing supervisor, Harry Termyna. Writing this letter I speak for myself, Jessica Bisciotti, and on behalf of my coworkers, Sonia Naples and Kyra Widecki. Together, we believe Harry should be named supervisor of the year for the following reasons.

First, we believe that Harry has done an especially amazing job integrating the three of us as members of the staff. The Career Development office is a very tight knit group that works together to serve all Monmouth University students. So it can feel a bit intimidating for a newer employee to fit in and find their place among the group. But Harry has gone out of his way to make us all feel like valuable, important, and irreplaceable parts of this team. From our very first days as student employees to now, Harry gives us real and meaningful work to do, and always makes sure we know how appreciated our work really is. While we are all student workers, Harry has made sure we never feel that we are only student workers.

Harry has also gone above and beyond to become a mentor to each one of us in our own ways. For me personally, Harry became an advisor for the Senior Class Council, where I serve as the Vice President. Every time I come in to work he makes it a point to talk about how things are going, recap meetings together, and help me navigate the challenging task of planning and executing senior week. Harry will sit and listen to my thoughts or concerns without ever shutting me down, and offers thoughtful advice for me whenever he can.

Finally, Harry has done a great job instilling the mission of our department into each one of us. When I joined the department as a first year student just one month into my education, securing a job was the last thing on my mind. I may not have understood why creating a resume was important or why networking mattered, but in no time at all Harry shaped me into a proactive student who can give real career advice to my peers and classmates. I’ve gotten to work on real student resumes, meet with students to discuss internships, and overall adopted the mission of Career Development as my own. I think this became really clear for all three of us when we saw just how seriously we took the career fair this year, and how personally invested we were in the success of the event. Because of Harry, each one of us has become a passionate member of the Career Development team, and we now all embody these values because of him.

Below I’ve included remarks from Sonia and Kyra on why they believe Harry deserves this honor, and we hope that you are able to officially recognize him for how much he’s impacted each of us as student employees.

My name is Sonia Naples, and I believe that Harry deserves nothing less than this award. I have been working for career development for almost two years, and he has been the best mentor and boss I could have ever asked for. When I come to work, I feel like one of the members of the staff. He always makes sure to ask me about how my week is going and how I am doing. But even more than that, when it comes to work, he goes above and beyond to make sure we’re always learning and challenging ourselves. Harry is a mentor to me and is always there when I need guidance on a task. When teaching us how to do things around the office, he appreciates when we ask questions and makes sure we understand what we are doing. He has taught us not only Career Development tasks, but skills that I can take with me after I graduate. Harry is the type of boss that makes you feel happy to come to work everyday. I truly believe he is absolutely deserving of this award!

My name is Kyra Widecki, and having worked with Harry for a little over a year, I can say that he undoubtedly goes above and beyond when it comes to making me feel valued and acknowledged. I don’t go a single day of work where he doesn’t ask me how my weekend was, how my classes are, how my friends are and is always there when I need to rant. Harry has such an approachable demeanor and a genuine interest in our successes. He always makes sure I am involved in decision making processes and does a great job at recognizing our individual strengths. For example, he helped me get out of my comfort zone when it came to tabling events and presentations. If I was uncomfortable or nervous he would talk me through it and make sure there was nothing to worry about and that he would stay by my side. Harry not only listens but he helps cultivate a workplace where everyone feels like they are an integral part of the team. I help Harry with resumes and any projects needed for our events and I couldn’t be more excited to do so. Harry deserves this special recognition for being such an amazing supervisor, boss and friend

Kelly Valentine is the supervisor for the student employee position Athletic’s Marketing Assistant. The position entails assisting Kelly throughout the school year for the majority of Monmouth athletic events. Some aspects of the job include working at both football and basketball games doing promotions, marketing tables at the student center, office hours to prepare for the upcoming games, and assisting Shadow the Hawk. Football and basketball games are the two biggest events. The work at the game includes performing any pregame activities, timeout promotions, halftime production, video board production, and sound. At each game,

Kelly provides the students with scripts that lay out the entire game, what should be happening, and when. Before the games, students are paired up and assigned a task for the game. In each game, the students are given different opportunities to experience everything the position has to offer. To be successful in this position students need to be engaging, outgoing, and have the ability to think on the fly.

Kelly does everything she can to make sure her student workers are prepared for anything at all times. If something is to go wrong Kelly is always able to come up with a quick solution, she also allows students to have the ability to find their own solutions. Her teaching has enabled many to feel confident in what they are doing. Kelly’s openness to letting the students try all aspects of the job has helped workers find their niche. If a student asks her to try the video board or fan cam she is always more than open to making that work. If she doesn’t have the ability to make things work then she is willing to put the students in contact with someone that can. Together as a team Kelly and the Athletic Marketing Assistants have been able to create a fun and engaging environment for the fans.

Looking deeper than what happens on the court or field you will find a close-knit family. Kelly puts heavy emphasis on becoming friends with your coworkers. Kelly has provided students with the opportunity to create new friendships with their fellow workers, other members of the athletics department, and athletes. The position has created a space for students with the same interests and future career goals to bond while learning what it takes to be in that field of work. We have formed unbreakable bonds with our coworkers that without Kelly’s kindness, mentoring and influence would not have been able to grow. She is always checking in on us and making sure that we are doing well outside of the arena/stadium. Her charisma and energy are contagious which helps encourage everyone to do their best.

Kelly’s guidance has helped many find their place here at Monmouth University. Working for Kelly has opened so many doors for different students giving them opportunities both in school and after they graduate. She has instilled such confidence in each one of her students and we are forever grateful. Beyond being an amazing supervisor Kelly has also been able to help advise her student workers with future career goals, personal guidance, and finding academic support. She is constantly finding ways to help people and her hard work should not go unrecognized.

– Catherine Senatore and Kylie Schadt

You’ll rarely catch me writing essays, especially ones that are optional like this. I figured it was the least I could do for my boss and supervisor Kelly Valentine. For Kelly, I hate to use the term boss. When I think of the term boss I think of someone who bosses you around and gives you orders. Kelly asks us to do favors for her and to help her out with things as if we are not clocked in and getting paid. She makes us feel like we are all equally a part of a team with her in the same role as all of us. When I think of a boss I think of someone who you have to hide mistakes from and who you’re scared to encounter. With Kelly, I have no problem asking her questions if I’m confused or just simply walking up to her to discuss a problem that I am facing. Kelly is technically our boss but she makes us feel like coworkers and more importantly her friends. I started working with Kelly two weeks into my freshman year. I just started here and I was having trouble finding my place. I had a few friends but I didn’t really like them. I had a roommate but didn’t get along with him too well. I was lost and then I found this job. Kelly took me in for an interview. As she was explaining the job I was very intrigued, and she expressed to me she was very excited to have me and just felt like I would fit here very well. On my first day working she put me in the production room controlling the video board. I immediately fell in love and have been controlling it ever since. At first, I had some trouble with it and I was stressed because controlling the video board is an important task because everyone sees it. Kelly was great at calming me down, training me, and making me feel comfortable even if I misclicked or accidentally put up the wrong thing. Someone actually came in and yelled at me once for accidently showing a bad replay and Kelly stood up for me telling me I was okay and not to worry about it.

After my freshman year at Monmouth, I was stuck and confused. I had no friends, no one knew me, I didn’t go out and do things and I was paying all this money for what. I got a 3.9 my freshman year so I was able to transfer to another college for possibly half the price. Maybe even having the same job but at somewhere bigger like a Big Ten or SEC school. Which people in my position could only dream of. All signs were telling me I should transfer and go somewhere else, but I wanted to work for Kelly and her marketing team. I could go elsewhere but it wouldn’t be the same vibe Kelly brings to work. Somewhere else I could have to deal with some old mean guy that doesn’t get or relate to us college kids. Kelly makes herself feel like a friend when working, and that’s ultimately why I stayed. I was also recruited to work for MDN this year because I’m much more into media rather than marketing, but I declined the offer to continue working for Kelly. Kelly is very understanding of our personal lives. If I need some time off or can’t work, maybe I’m running late. She always understands because we are college kids with a lot of stuff on our plates. I never get scared or nervous telling her I need off or if I need to leave early, which I’ve never felt with a boss. I also feel no need to lie with her. This year we had a game during the college football playoff and I was scheduled to work. Michigan was my favorite team and I was heartbroken I had to miss it. I could’ve lied and taken advantage of her niceness and said I was sick or couldn’t come in for any reason and she would’ve been fine with it, but I knew she was short staffed and I went in during winter break and was comfortable asking her, once I was there, if I could leave early so I could watch the final minutes of the game with my family. Of course, she understood and was completely fine with it. I couldn’t imagine anyone doing that with any other boss. Kelly is the reason I’m still here at Monmouth, and I am having a great time. I’ve found new friends, gotten more involved and now I just overall enjoy my experience here at Monmouth. I probably would’ve transferred if it wasn’t for Kelly. I didn’t because Kelly made me feel welcomed and irreplaceable. Kelly is more than a boss or supervisor to me, she is someone who I look up to, someone I have the utmost respect for, and someone who will always have a significant role in my life story. This is why Kelly Valentine should be Monmouth’s supervisor of the year.

– Luke Moleski