Student Employee of the Year
NEW for 2026!
Submit nominations no later than Friday, Jan. 30th. Late submissions will not be considered. Link to nomination form is below.
Did you know… by the time of graduation, 80% of students at University of Puget Sound have worked on-campus through student employment. Our student employees directly contribute to the university’s success. To recognize their work and accomplishments, supervisors are encouraged to submit nominations for the Student Employee of the Year award. This process includes both undergraduate and graduate students.
All students employed in an hourly position, either via federal or state work-study or university work-study, will be eligible for the awards. Students should be employed during the Fall 2025 and/or Spring 2026 semesters. Nominations can come from any staff or faculty member.
Nominations are done via a letter from the supervisor and more details can be found below. We strongly recommend that you review the scoring rubrics linked below before writing and submitting your letter.
All nominees will be recognized and winners will be submitted to the National Student Employment Association (NSEA) for national award consideration. Winners will be announced in April.
For procedural questions, please reach out to CES.
Award Criteria
Nominate undergraduate students in one of the following NSEA categories:
Nominators may nominate multiple students, but each student can only be nominated in a single category by the same nominator.
A committee will evaluate nominations via the linked rubrics above and the top scorers in each category will be submitted to NSEA. We STRONGLY RECOMMEND that you review the rubric in advance of writing your nomination letter.
When submitting your nomination for Graduate Student Employee of the Year please make sure to focus on ONE of the following areas:
Social Impact & Belonging
The student employee demonstrates empathy and compassion for others in their work and actively cultivates an inclusive environment by valuing diverse perspectives, challenging bias and advancing equity, respect and a strong sense of belonging for all.
Impact
The 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
The student employee collaborates well with peers, managers, department leadership and unit stakeholders; employs appropriate methods of persuasion when soliciting agreement; and addresses problems constructively.
Leadership
The student employee is passionate about mentorship and training fellow student employees and acts as an agent of change to support the implementation of new ideas.
A committee will evaluate nominations using a scoring rubric and the top scorer will be submitted to NSEA. We STRONGLY RECOMMEND that you review the rubric in advance of writing your nomination letter.
Submit Your Nomination
Write a letter sharing why your student should be recognized with this award and submit it through the Student Employee of the Year nomination form (link below.) Your letter should be at a maximum of two pages and uploaded as a PDF. Please be detailed with why you are nominating your student for a particular category and include examples of why their performance is exemplary.
Submit nominations no later than Friday, Jan. 30th. Late submissions will not be considered.
Additional materials beyond the letter will not be reviewed. Information you provide may be shared publicly through press releases and other promotional channels.