CSB and SJU students claim Student Employee/Team of the Year awards

Hannah Laudenbach, Joshua Bikus and the student employees of the Saint John's University Campus Mail and Duplicating Center have been named Student Employees/Team of the Year at the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University.

The winners were announced at a reception Friday, April 19, at Room 264, Quadrangle Building, SJU. The awards are held annually, normally during National Student Employee Appreciation Week April 7-13 (the event was originally postponed by a snow storm April 11). The winners received an engraved plaque.

CSB Student Employee of the Year

Laudenbach, a junior accounting major from St. Cloud, Minn., has worked since January 2011 in the CSB athletic department. She currently serves as a budget assistant/summer camp lead, which was originally two separate positions filled by two full-time student employees. Due to a late employment change in spring 2012, she was asked to fill both roles. As summer camp lead, she ensured that registration data was accurate, details for each camp were confirmed with CSB Events and Conferences and that the necessary office support was given to the camp directors. She created spreadsheets as a budget assistant that helps others understand the athletic office budget, maintaining data on where the budget was at for the fiscal year and assisting coaches with their budget questions.  

"Hannah is a student that you'd choose first to represent your department," said Deanne Hollermann, CSB athletics department coordinator and Laudenbach's supervisor in her nominating form. "Her maturity level is much higher than many at her age. She maintains a professional working relationship with the athletics staff and staff at CSB and SJU, especially with Events and Conferences, the CSB business office and Information Technology Services. She also works with parents and campers in a professional manner."

The other students nominated for the CSB Student Employee of the Year award (listed alphabetically) and the areas they work in were Paige Armbrister (chemistry), Sarah Berkowitz (CSB athletics), Lindsay Brull (Office of Education Abroad), Tess Foster (political science), Hannah Frost (CSB athletics), Eleanor Gray (Saint John's Arboretum), Brenna Horn (Jay Phillips Center for Interfaith Learning), Sarah Mork (CSB Business Office), Shannon Murphy (SJU Campus Mail and Duplicating Center), Ariel Reischl (Information Technology Services), Margaret Roesler (Institutional Planning and Research), Erin Sattervall (admission), Amanda Tate (CSB athletics) and Gabrielle Volkers (CSB athletics).

SJU Student Employee of the Year

Bikus, a senior French and mathematics double-major from Andover, Kan., is currently the student manager of the SJU Duplicating Center (he has worked in the area for 3½ years). He assists in the daily operations of the center and is responsible for training other student employees, monitoring and ordering supplies, monthly inventories and cash deposits and the balancing of daily job slips.

"Josh is one of the rare students that come along once every 10 to 15 years," said Mary Gouge, Bikus' supervisor. "He gives 100 percent and does his best at everything he is given. I have never known him to cut corners, and he often is too hard on himself when he feels he has not reached the high standards he sets. He has been by far one of the top students I have had working for me. He is simply a first-class, grade-A person."

The other students nominated for the SJU Student Employee of the Year award (listed alphabetically) and the areas they work in were Collin Hager (Financial Aid/Student Employment) and Andrew Yost (SJU Events).

CSB/SJU Student Employee Team of the Year

The 32-person student team at the SJU Campus Mail and Duplicating Center consists of two different job positions.

Managers are responsible for all day-to-day operations and services, training staff, monitoring supplies, inventories, cash deposits, billing entries and helping out wherever needed. The main duty of office assistants is to provide customer service in a friendly and helpful manner. They must maintain confidentiality and perform assigned duties with a high level of accuracy and attention to detail.

The team members (listed alphabetically) include:

Ana Belmonte, CSB first-year, communication major, Dallas.
Alex Bertram, SJU sophomore, computer science major, Woodbury, Minn.
Andrea Betts, CSB sophomore, global business leadership major, Fairmont, Minn.
Joshua Bikus, SJU senior, French and mathematics majors, Andover, Kan.
Ben Brown, SJU first-year, political science major, Ceylon, Minn.
Hank Brown, SJU junior, economics major, Ceylon, Minn.
Jake Collins, SJU first-year, political science major, North Mankato, Minn.
Carina Ezell, CSB first-year, elementary education major, Centennial, Colo.
Rose Gangl, CSB junior, psychology major, Roseville, Minn.
Ali Hammerstrom, CSB first-year, global business leadership and accounting majors, Minnetonka, Minn.
Taylor Holthaus, SJU senior, management major, Avon, Minn.
Kevin Jacobs, SJU first-year, global business leadership major, Shoreview, Minn.
Michelle Jacobs , CSB senior, elementary education major, Shoreview, Minn.
Kate Kennealy, CSB sophomore, sociology major, Eagan, Minn.
Kelsey Martin, CSB junior, biology major, Sartell, Minn.
Shannon Murphy, CSB senior, nursing major, Chandler, Ariz.
Adam O'Gorman, SJU first-year, global business leadership, Andover, Minn.
Alyssa Overton, CSB junior, management major, Mantorville, Minn.
John Palmisano, SJU junior, management major, Eden Prairie, Minn.
Andy Praught, SJU sophomore, art major, St. Paul, Minn.
Jacob Rawlings, SJU sophomore, undecided major, Maplewood, Minn.
Zach Roy, SJU first-year, undecided, Andover, Minn.
Maria Sakalosky, CSB senior, mathematics major, Bettendorf, Iowa.
Taylor Sand, CSB sophomore, global business leadership major, Albany, Minn.
Katie Scepaniak, CSB senior, elementary education and Hispanic studies majors, Avon, Minn.
Liz Severson, CSB sophomore, communication major, Watertown, Minn.
Molly Sullivan, CSB sophomore, psychology major, LeCenter, Minn.
Mitch Thune, SJU senior, political science major, LeSueur, Minn.
Matt Workman, SJU sophomore, global business leadership major, Minneapolis
Sue Yang, CSB junior, communication major, Golden Valley, Minn.
Eliora Yokanan, CSB first-year, political science and philosophy majors, St. Paul, Minn.
Olivia Zajac, CSB first-year, English and psychology majors, Hillman, Minn.

Campus Mail and Duplicating Center coordinator Mary Gouge and assistant Kathy Scegura wrote in the team's nominating letter that the students' greatest strength "is their camaraderie. They truly look for each other and are ready to help each other in any way they can. Whether it's finding a solution to a random problem, helping one another move 80 cases of paper up to the fourth floor duplicating center, carrying in 200-plus packages or taking hundreds of sacks of bulk mail to the Post Office, they quickly extend a helping hand to one another. They rely on each other to complete their jobs in a fast-paced, ever-changing environment."  

Other student teams nominated for the award were Abbey Woodworking; Admission; Archives; Chemistry; CSB Catering; Intercultural Center; Media Services; Music; and Sexton Dining.