This Year’s Winners (National Student Employment Week)

It is with great enthusiasm that I nominate Leslie Fuentes for the Student Employee of the Year award. Leslie has been with our department for three years, and during this time, she has consistently demonstrated exceptional leadership, knowledge, initiative, and professionalism. Leslie currently holds three positions on campus while also balancing her academic responsibilities and student teaching. Her ability to manage these roles while excelling in each speaks to her remarkable time management, dedication, and leadership qualities, making her an ideal candidate for this prestigious recognition.

Leadership and Initiative

Leslie’s leadership abilities have been evident from her first day with our department. As the lead Student Employment office assistant, she plays a central role in assisting students through the hiring process and mandatory trainings. She takes the time to explain the steps involved in securing on-campus employment, walking students through the necessary paperwork, and ensuring they understand the expectations of their positions. Leslie’s clear and patient guidance has helped numerous students navigate the often-complex hiring process, making their experience seamless and stress-free.

In addition to supporting students through the hiring process, Leslie has also been instrumental in explaining mandatory training sessions for new student employees. Leslie’s ability to impart this knowledge in an engaging and approachable manner has been invaluable in setting students up for success in their positions.

Beyond her role in training and guiding new hires, Leslie also serves as a mentor to other student employees within our department. She is a go-to resource for her peers, offering support, advice, and a helping hand whenever needed. Leslie’s willingness to share her knowledge and experience with others has created a collaborative and supportive environment within the office. She fosters a sense of camaraderie among student employees, helping them feel connected and empowered to succeed.

Professionalism and Initiative

Leslie’s professionalism is evident in every aspect of her work. She approaches her tasks with a strong sense of responsibility and dedication, always striving to do her best. Her communication skills are outstanding, and she excels at explaining complex information in a clear and concise manner, ensuring that students, staff, and faculty understand procedures.

Leslie’s initiative extends beyond her regular duties. She has proactively created resources to help student employees in our department, such as step-by-step guides for the hiring process. Her efforts to improve office processes and provide additional training have made a lasting impact on the department and have significantly improved the student employment experience for everyone involved.

Impact and Dedication

Leslie’s contributions to our department are immeasurable. She not only assists students with the technical aspects of their employment but also provides emotional support, helping students balance their academic and professional responsibilities. Her willingness to lend an ear, offer advice, and help students navigate challenges has made her a beloved member of our team.

Leslie’s ability to successfully balance her three roles—our office, Athletics, and FWS off-campus with the local school system, along with her student teaching responsibilities—demonstrates her exceptional dedication, time management, and work ethic. She continues to excel in each of her positions in our office, Athletics and FWS off campus with local school system, despite the demanding nature of her schedule. Leslie’s impact on the student employment process has been profound, and her efforts to teach and guide others have helped countless students grow in their roles.

Conclusion

Leslie Fuentes is an outstanding student employee whose leadership, initiative, and professionalism have had a significant impact on the Student Employment Office and the broader University community. Her dedication to assisting students through the hiring process, leading mandatory trainings, and mentoring her fellow student employees demonstrates her commitment to the success of others. Leslie’s ability to balance multiple roles while excelling in each is a remarkable achievement, and it is with great pride that I nominate her for the Student Employee of the Year award.

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