OSU names Hutchison 2016 Student Employee of the Year

Monday, April 18, 2016

OSU recognized Baleigh Hutchison, a senior from Cherokee, Oklahoma, as the 2016 Student Employee of the Year at a special ceremony Thursday. She was nominated for her work at Brookdale Senior Living, where she has worked for almost three years.

“It means a lot because I have worked so hard,” Hutchison said. “I work 35 to 40 hours a week plus going to school for about 21 hours this semester. It’s nice to see some pay off.”

Before the student employee of the year was announced, Hutchison and four other finalists were recognized and presented gift baskets worth up to $250 from donations provided by campus departments and local businesses. Along with her gift basket, Hutchison received a $1,000 scholarship presented by Dr. Lee Bird, vice president of OSU Division of Student Affairs.

The other four finalists were Joseph Bailey, from Taloga, nominated by Parking and Transit; Ric Ellis, from Knightsen, California, nominated by Best Buy; Benjamin Jones, from Tulsa, nominated by Meeting and Conference Services; and Lorena Mayorga, from Hinton, nominated by Diversity Academic Support.

OSU departments and community employers nominated a record number of 127 students this year, many of whom were in attendance at the ceremony, which is held during National Student Employment Week.

University Dining Services also had two student employee winners who received certificates for $1,250. The two UDS winners are Morgan Youngblood of Tulsa and Jesse Beltran of Tulsa.

For the third year, OSU also selected an employer of the year. This year’s winner is the OSU Department of Wellness, represented by Assistant Director of Operations Karissa Lowe. 

Story by Katie Rosebrook

PHOTOS: https://flic.kr/s/aHskyuJTBu