SJU Student Named National Student Employee of the Year
April 11, 2005
Chris Lauer, a senior at Saint John’s University in Collegeville, has been named the 2006 National Student Employee of the Year by the National Student Employment Association. Lauer is an economics major from Waunakee, Wis.
He was also named the SJU Student Employee of the Year, the Minnesota Student Employee of the Year and the Midwest Regional Student Employee of the Year. This is the third consecutive year that a CSB/SJU student has been named Minnesota Student Employee of the Year.
Lauer has been an employee of the Outdoor Leadership Center (OLC) for three years. Lauer started as an associate, was promoted to a lead associate and assistant manager, and then was selected as manager.
As manager, Lauer is responsible for the OLC staff of 22 employees, ensuring the overall day-to-day functioning of the OLC, supporting OLC’s programs and operation, building and maintaining partnerships to enhance the mission of the OLC and working with the OLC supervisors.
“Chris uses strong communication skills with our customers while conveying information about equipment and programs, teaching at the Climbing Wall (part of the OLC programming), teaching outdoor-related skills and demonstrating outdoor equipment,” said his nominators and co-supervisors at OLC, Heidi Harlander and John Clarkson, in a nominating report for the SJU award.
Lauer said he has learned several things that will help him succeed in the future.
“One thing that has improved is my time management skills. I was never very good at keeping a schedule, and there still is a lot of room for improvement,” Lauer said. “However, becoming a manager at the OLC has forced me to be more organized.”
Lauer was one of 10 CSB/SJU students who received the student employee/team of the year awards during a breakfast April 11 in the Alumni Lounge. Ann Wessman, National Student Employment Association president, presented Lauer a check for $1,000 for winning the national award. He also received $75 and a certificate for winning the state award, and $150 and a plaque for winning the regional award.
A total of 647 students were nominated from 42 colleges in the Midwest Region to start the process. Each college or university then submitted its individual student winners to the state competition. The 11 state winners were forwarded to the Midwest Regional competition, with the four regional winners forwarded to the national competition.
