Student employees at CSB and SJU are honored at reception

LaDeanna Swanson, William Harren and the College of Saint Benedict Group Exercise Team have been named Student Employees/Team of the Year at CSB and Saint John’s University.

The winners, who receive an engraved plaque, were announced April 4 at a reception at the Gorecki Center, CSB.

Some 2,500 student employees at CSB and SJU logged almost 400,000 hours of service, through the end of February. That’s the equivalent of about 190 full time employees to complete the number of hours worked.

Those student employees are housed in 250 different departments and offices at CSB and SJU for 300 supervisors.

CSB Student Employee of the Year

Swanson has worked for two years as an office assistant in the Department of Exercise Science and Sport Studies (ESSS) at CSB/SJU.

The senior psychology major from Parkers Prairie, Minnesota, handles word processing; recording grades; and copying, maintaining, organizing and updating electronic files. Swanson also updates and maintains CANVAS course sites, creates surveys via Forms Manager and updates the department’s website.

“LeDeanna has an incredible ability to take initiative and anticipate our needs,” wrote Janna LaFountaine, professor of ESSS, and Mary Stenson, associate professor of ESSS, in Swanson’s nominating letter. “It feels that at times, she can read our minds. She often completes work that she knows will need to be done without being asked, which is incredibly helpful.

“Her work ethic is impeccable, in that she works for two professors and easily navigates the different requests, time sensitive material and various styles,” LaFountaine and Stenson continued.

Seven students were nominated for the CSB Student Employee of the Year.

SJU Student Employee of the Year

Harren, a senior philosophy major from Wasilla, Alaska, has worked at SJU Pottery for the past four years.

His duties include splitting and stacking firewood, processing clay and general studio maintenance. He and the other student employees welcome guests from on and off campus to the pottery studio.

“It’s generally under-appreciated how much clear thinking and ‘smarts’ contributes to positions such as this that are focused on manual labor, but a student who can think on their toes, solve problems of workflow and prioritizing and asks important questions makes all the difference in the world to us,” wrote Ryan Kutter, studio manager, in Harren’s nominating letter.

“A mentally engaged student such as William can accomplish twice the work of some others because projects do not need to be fixed after being done incorrectly, and adjusts priorities within a project,” Kutter continued.

Six students were nominated for SJU Student Employee of the Year.

CSB/SJU Student Employee Team of the Year

The 17-person CSB Campus Recreation Group Exercise Team help build a foundation and structure that students, faculty and staff can use to fuel their personal health journey for years to come.

In addition to regularly scheduled weekly classes, the team organized or co-sponsored events such as Yogurt and Yoga; Cut the Current – Group Exercise Classes in the Dark; Yoga on the Mall; Yoga in the Garden; Study Day Circuit; Afrobeats Zumba; No Equipment Necessary classes; and Zumabathon, the team’s signature event which raises money for Special Olympics.

Team members include Nicole Anderson, Emma Bonglack, Simone Creed, Emily Dech, Sophia Dryer, Elizabeth Grygar, Lauren Lafeber, Natalie Lambert, Laura Lanigan, Jessica Nelson, Megan O’Connor, Tori Oettinger, Molly Pass, Michaela Reardon, Melissa Rose, Madeline Sorum and Kendra Sukke.

“The impact the CSB Group Exercise team has on our department, campus and community is quite exceptional,” wrote Amanda Anderson, assistant director of Campus Recreation who supervises the team, in its nominating letter. “The women that are a part of this team are dedicated, passionate and innovative. They are always thinking of new ways to keep our group exercise program on trend and attract new participants.”

Seven teams were nominated for the CSB/SJU Student Employee Team of the Year.