Student Employment Recognition Event Winners

2022 Student Employee of the Year

Student employees are an important part of the University of Illinois campus community, and we would like to thank student employees for all of the work they do. The Student Employee of the Year selection was open to undergraduate students in all departments who have been working for the Champaign-Urbana campus for at least 6 months. Nominators wrote a letter describing the student’s responsibilities and why they believed their student should be considered for Student Employee of the Year. Nominations were evaluated by a selection committee using the following criteria:  Reliability, Quality of Work, Initiative, Professionalism, and Uniqueness of Contribution.

Thank you to all of the nominees for your hard work and dedication, and thank you to the nominators for taking the time to recognize the outstanding student employees on our campus!

University of Illinois Student Employee of the Year

  • 2022 – Daniel Owen – Auditorium Operations, Facility Scheduling & Logistics
  • 2021 – Jeffrey Elem – Japan House
  • 2020 – Faisal Masood – Bioengineering Instructional Labs
  • 2019 – Chloe Toussaint – Central Access Services
  • 2018 – Dawn Nguyen – Advanced Visualization Lab
  • 2017 – Samantha Barratt – Integrative Biology
  • 2016 – Amanda Sturgill* – Technology Services
  • 2015 – Brandon Wood – NetMath-Mathematics Department
  • 2014 – Alex Press – Nuclear, Plasma and Radiological Engineering
  • 2013 – Michael McGarry* – Campus Recreation
  • 2012 – Nick Wood – The Career Center
  • 2011 – Neha Mehra* – Illini Union-Illinois Leadership Center
  • 2010 – Justin Gholson – Illini Union Bookstore
  • 2009 – Sarah Blatti* – Campus Recreation
  • 2008 – Kevin Attermeier – Veterinary Teaching Hospital
  • 2007 – Benjamin Cober – Illinois Leadership Center
  • 2006 – Sarah Jacobson – Campus Recreation
  • 2005 – Amber Raney – Animal Sciences
  • 2004 – Amy Wilson – Department of Crop Sciences
  • 2003 – Wesley (Shawn) Davis – National Center for Supercomputing Applications
  • 2002 – Derek Cwik – Mathematics
  • 2002 – Robert Kidd – Coordinated Science Laboratory
  • 2002 – Jennifer Knapp – Beckwith Hall
  • 2002 – Linda Lee – Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences
  • 2002 – Jennifer Reason – Human and Community Development
  • 2002 – Shenyka Wheatly – Medical Scholars Program
  • 2001 – Deniz Akin – LAS General Curriculum Office
  • 2001 – Amanda Buck – Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences-Entomology
  • 2001 – John Holton – Spurlock Museum
  • 2001 – Meredith Johnson – ODOS-New Student Programs
  • 2001 – Kalev Leetaru – National Center for Supercomputing Applications
  • 2001 – Mark Uchanski – Natural Resources-Horticulture
  • 2000 – Rosalee Dodson – Admissions and Records
  • 2000 – Daniel Linder – School of Chemical Sciences
  • 2000 – Susan Mahrt – Operations and Maintenance
  • 2000 – Jennifer Martin – America Reads-Robeson Elementary School
  • 2000 – Judy Schumacher – Child Development Laboratory
  • 2000 – Joanie Strom – Human and Community Development
  • 1999 – Rochelle Briscoe – Ecology, Ethology and Evolution
  • 1999 – Jessica Brown – Materials Research Laboratory
  • 1999 – Tenille Jackson – Mechanical and Industrial Engineering
  • 1999 – Jessica Mattos – America Reads Program
  • 1999 – Khalid Smith – Office of Minority Student Affairs
  • 1999 – Chicha Tenner – Sociology

*Also named State of Illinois Student Employee of the Year

Student Employee of the Year – Runner Up

  • 2022 – Francisco Gamino-Arevalos – Materials Research Laboratory
  • 2021 – Michelle Shen – Business Administration
  • 2020 – Tajesvi Bhat – NCSA Genomics
  • 2019 – Benjamin David – Bioengineering Instructional Labs
  • 2018 – Geraldine Carney – Engineering IT Shared Services
  • 2017 – Theresa Pham – Spurlock Museum
  • 2016 – Samantha Caselton – DRES Testing Accommodations Center
  • 2015 – Peter Huh – Intensive English Institute-LAS
  • 2014 – Kelley Sullivan – Housing & Dining Services
  • 2013 – Amanda Moore – Carver Biotechnology Center
  • 2012 – Ruoyu Zhu – Quantitative Light Imaging Laboratory
  • 2011 – Brian Towell – Veterinary Medicine Comparative Biosciences
  • 2010 – Tracy Colin – ACES-Illinois/Indiana Sea Grant Program
  • 2009 – Amy Boysen – LAS ATLAS
  • 2008 – Ryan Cozad – Beckwith Residence Hall
  • 2007 – Siedah Hampton – UIF Annual Giving Telemarketing Program
  • 2006 – Nicole Billman – Illinois Fire Science Institute
  • 2005 – Jessica Tomaszewski – Veterinary Biosciences
  • 2004 – Charles Lee – School of Chemical Sciences
  • 2003 – Timothy Snyder – Division of Public Safety-Student Patrol

Student Employee of the Year – Honorable Mention

  • 2022 – Farah Mohammed Rafee – Undergraduate Research, Engineering Administration
  • 2022 – Kayla Berry – Illini Union, Recreation Room
  • 2021 – Johana Machuca – Illinois Leadership Center
  • 2021 – Holly Hahn – University Bursar
  • 2020 – Trennedy Kleczewski – Central Access Services
  • 2020 – Saheli Sheth – Illinois Leadership Center
  • 2019 – Jaclyn Nickerson – NetMath
  • 2019 – Prisca Kigalu Lumbu – Computer-Based Testing Facility
  • 2018 – Pierce Hadley – Bioengineering
  • 2018 – Kennedy Stevens – University Press
  • 2017 – Jesse Crowe – Engineering IT Services
  • 2017 – Diamond Kinermon – DRES Testing Accommodations Center
  • 2016 – Annalea Forrest – Beckwith Residential Support Services
  • 2016 – Helen Liu – Donald R. Ort Lab-School of Integrative Biology
  • 2015 – Jacob Fleener – University Student Financial Services & Cashier Operations
  • 2015 – Kristen Goetzka – Dining Student Employment Office-Housing
  • 2014 – Meher Bharucha – Illini Union
  • 2014 – Nikoli Dryden – National Center for Supercomputing Applications
  • 2013 – Cory Edwards – Pathobiology Veterinary Medicine
  • 2013 – Tehseen (Tess) Mody – Undergraduate Admissions
  • 2012 – Theresa Lopez – The Career Center
  • 2012 – John Morrissey – Cognitive Computation Group in College of Engineering
  • 2011 – Muhammad Arba’In – LAS ATLAS
  • 2011 – Katherine Cash – Illini Union Hotel
  • 2010 – Debonna Harper – Illini Union-Operations and Event Services
  • 2010 – Amy Yahiro – Dining Services-Housing Food Stores
  • 2009 – Phillip Johnson – Illinois Leadership Center
  • 2009 – Anthony Santarelli – Division of Safety & Compliance, Environmental Compliance Department
  • 2008 – Jacqueline Butler – ACES Human Resources
  • 2008 – Joshua Nelson – The Spurlock Museum
  • 2007 – Seth Franz – UIF Research Department
  • 2007 – Robert Tardella – Pathobiology
  • 2006 – Michelle Kincaid – Business Career Services
  • 2006 – David Wolke – Business Career Services
  • 2005 – Lindsey Baran – Illini Union-Office of Volunteer Programs
  • 2005 – Kathryn Hohmann – Animal Sciences
  • 2004 – Robin Alley – Kinesiology
  • 2004 – Allison Mosley – Animal Sciences
  • 2003 – Brooke Billings – Illini Union-Office of Volunteer Programs
  • 2003 – Roxanne Dunn – University Library-Archives
  • 2003 – Erin Hatch – Office of Cash Management and Investments
  • 2003 – Stacey Williams – America Reads-Washington Early Childhood

2022 Tutor of the Year

Tutors play a unique role in supporting their peers and students in the community and the 2022 Tutor of the Year selection aims to recognize the outstanding tutors at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. The Tutor of the Year selection was open to all undergraduate students who have been working in a tutoring position for the Champaign-Urbana campus for at least 6 months.

Nominators wrote a letter describing the tutor’s responsibilities and accomplishments, and outlined why they believed their nominee should be considered for Tutor of the Year. Nominations were evaluated by a selection committee using the following criteria: Reliability, Quality of Work, Initiative, Professionalism, and Uniqueness of Contribution.

Thank you to all of the nominees for your commitment and dedication to the students you work with, and thank you to the nominators for taking the time to recognize the outstanding tutors on our campus!

University of Illinois Tutor of the Year

  • 2022 – Morelia Lara – America Reads/America Counts
  • 2021 – Emily Williams – Center for Academic Resources in Engineering

Tutor of the Year – Runner Up

  • 2022 – Katy Miles – Department of Statistics
  • 2021 – Nevers Mushimata – Academic Services Center, Office of Minority Student Affairs

Tutor of the Year – Honorable Mention

  • 2022 – Sachi Goel, Gies Peer Tutoring
  • 2022 – Justin Roskamp, Center for Academic Resources in Engineering
  • 2021 – Melia Watson – America Reads/America Counts
  • 2021 – Alex Garcia – Center for Academic Resources in Engineering

America Reads/America Counts Tutor of the Year

  • 2020 – Hailey Wilson – Barkstall Elementary School
  • 2020 – Cassandra Favela – Urbana Early Childhood Center
  • 2019 – Ta’ah Tompkins – Stratton Elementary School
  • 2019 – Dillon Brown – Urbana Middle School
  • 2018 – Cristal Noriega – Champaign Early Childhood Center
  • 2018 – Beatris Garcia – MLK, Jr. Elementary and BTW Elementary
  • 2017 – Eva Cygan – Kenwood Elementary School
  • 2017 – Jessica Vilaythong – Urbana Adult Education
  • 2016 – Diep Nguyen – Franklin Middle School
  • 2016 – Alexiss Gould – Thomas Paine Elementary School
  • 2015 – Christina Willey – Champaign Early Childhood Center
  • 2015 – Myisha Howard – Yankee Ridge Elementary School
  • 2014 – Grace Householder – Westview Elementary School
  • 2014 – Melissa Roman – Leal Elementary School
  • 2013 – Jessica Stanton – Jefferson Middle School
  • 2013 – Yecencia Iturbe-Mendes – Martin Luther King Elementary School
  • 2012 – Michelina Ashford – Barkstall Elementary School
  • 2012 – Priya Gopalakrishnan – Gerber School
  • 2011 – Yu Yi Li – Jefferson Middle School
  • 2011 – Evelin Echeverria – Washington Early Childhood
  • 2010 – Kyle McCreedy – Franklin Middle School
  • 2010 – Kevin Wade – Urbana Adult Education
  • 2009 – Yolanda Davis – Edison Middle School
  • 2009 – Moheet Merchant – Urbana Adult Education
  • 2008 – Devin Brown – Garden Hills Elementary School
  • 2008 – Sarah Daugherty – Yankee Ridge Elementary School
  • 2007 – Kyle Dohrman – Robeson Elementary School
  • 2007 – Alexa Wirth – Leal Elementary School
  • 2006 – Fernando Martinez – B.T. Washington Elementary School
  • 2006 – Stephen Yu – Leal Elementary School
  • 2005 – Jill Hansen – Carrie Busey Elementary School
  • 2005 – Dilshad Patel – Westview Elementary School
  • 2005 – Aisha Beckwith – Martin Luther King Elementary School
  • 2005 – Ryan Gracia – Martin Luther King Elementary School