Top student employees are recognized for their service to campus

University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Contact:
Noreen Okikawa, (808) 956-4396
Director of University Student Employment, Manoa Career Center
Posted: May 2, 2014

Lori Ideta, Tory Watanabe and Wendy Sora.
Lori Ideta, Tory Watanabe and Wendy Sora.

Four UH Mānoa students were recently presented cash awards by the Mānoa Career Center at the 29th Annual Student Employee of the Year (SEOTY) Awards Reception. They were honored for their outstanding work as top employees on the UH Mānoa campus, according to Noreen Okikawa, Director of University Student Employment. The Office of Multicultural Student Services team was also recognized for excellence.

Top individual honors went to Tory Watanabe, an event coordinator for the Campus Center Board Activities Council with the Student Life and Development Department.  Watanabe is a junior majoring in Secondary Education.  He was awarded a $1,000 cash scholarship.

“Tory is willing to consistently go above and beyond. Without being prompted, he gives 110% and does it all with care and respect. He serves as a role model for the Council members and the student staff in the office,” said Stephanie Welin, Watanabe’s supervisor, who nominated him for the award. “Tory has the very sound ability to analyze and make good decisions. When he has called to inform me of a problem or situation, he also presents what he believes the best course of action will be. Tory thinks through situations and attacks them with grace and precision.”

Watanabe was also selected as the SEOTY winner for the State of Hawai‘i in the Western Association of Student Employment Administrators.

Other winners include:

  • Brian Alofaituli, nominated by Clement Bautista, Director of the Office of Multicultural Student Services. Alofaituli is a Project Coordinator at the Office of Multicultural Student Services and is a graduate student in History. Alofaituli was awarded a $750 cash scholarship.
     
  • Ronald Susa, nominated by David Bowman, Library Technician V/Student Supervisor. Susa is a Sinclair Library Circulation Student Assistant IV at the Sinclair Library and is a senior majoring in Music. Susa was awarded a $500 cash scholarship.
     
  • Echelle Burns, nominated by James Potemra, Associate Professor. Burns is a Marine Data Specialist in the Hawai‘i Institute of Geophysics & Planetology department and is a junior majoring in Marine Biology. Burns was awarded a $500 cash scholarship.

The Student Employee of the Year Team winner is from the Office of Multicultural Student Services.  The team was nominated by Katrina Abes, Student Support Specialist. The team consists of Dexter Artienda, Christian Gamponia, Danny Hong, Vanessa Pulido, Derek Sasaki and Richard Yamane.

UH Mānoa has celebrated the Student Employee of the Year since 1986, recognizing outstanding student employees throughout campus. The cash awards are from proceeds generated by the annual Craft Fair & Silent Auction, traditionally held on campus on the Friday before Thanksgiving.

Caption: Tory Watanabe, Student of the Year Award recipient, is flanked by Dr. Lori Ideta, Assistant Vice Chancellor and Dean of Students, and Wendy Sora, Interim Director of the Mānoa Career Center.

For more information, visit: http://manoa.hawaii.edu/careercenter