SIU honored the 2013-14 student employee of the year Thursday morning in Lentz Hall.

The criteria necessary to be nominated for this award is established by the Midwest Association of Student Employment Administrators, of which many schools, including SIU, are members. All the participating schools take part in National Student Employment week, employment manager Toni Vagner said.

Faculty members are advised to turn in nominations for one student worker in their program; these nominations are read by four impartial readers several times until they have chosen one finalist and a winner, Vagner said.

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Benjamin Smith, a sophomore from Riverdale studying communication studies, was awarded for his outstanding work at the Center of Inclusive Excellence. Smith said his transition from Chicago’s south side in high school to his experience at the university has been an amazing opportunity.

“I’m doing the kind of work that I love where I get to mentor other people … and just being around some amazing people and seeing the fruit from our labor,” Smith said. “It’s just a blessing to me.”

Working for the Center of Inclusive Excellence has helped Smith meet faculty and administrators while working on different programs and communicating with other people, he said.

“It just helped me grow intellectually, professionally and culturally, working for the Center of Inclusive Excellence,” he said. “I get to interact with people from so many different groups.”

Black Men’s Initiative director Derrick Williams said he nominated Smith for Smith’s unmatched work ethic. Doctor Martin Luther King Jr.’s influence on both Williams and Smith has inspired them both to work to their full potential, Williams said.

While speaking, Williams quoted King: “All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence.”

Smith, as well as the other nominees, was awarded a certificate and letter from Chancellor Rita Cheng. He also received  a plaque to recognize his achievement and $300 added to his bursar to help with tuition.

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Haley Nelson, a senior studying human nutrition and dietetics, was the finalist for her work at the Learning Support Services. She was unable to attend, but Lisa Peden, her nominator, accepted the award on Nelson’s behalf.

Vagner said the campus employs approximately 3,600 students this year, which falls in their average of 3,500 to 4,000.

“The advantages to having a job are to meet people in your field, to set up future references for future employment when you graduate and to help you with your educational and personal needs,” Vagner said.

Vagner could not readily give the number of students who receive work-study benefits, she said.

“The university receives federal funds allocated to the departments on campus, who employ our federal work study students,” she said.

Financial Aid director Terri Harfst said when people say students are the backbone of the university they often mean it from an academic aspect.

“I would go one step farther and say that our student employees are the backbone that keep us riding on this campus and make us the university who we are, through the student employment program,” Harfst said.

Vagner and Harfst concluded the ceremony by congratulating the 21 nominees.

“This event gives us the opportunity to say thank you for what you do,” Harfst said.

Sarah Niebrugge can be reached at [email protected].