Sarah Reynolds, a junior from Oswego, N.Y., who is majoring in supply chain management, was named Student Employee of the Year at Niagara University for 2020. The award was announced during a virtual ceremony on May 13. Sarah was selected from among 11 nominees for the honor, which recognizes extraordinary undergraduate work-study and part-time student employees.
As the marketing assistant in the university’s IMPACT/ReNU Office, Sarah is responsible for promoting campaigns ranging from simple IMPACT stop-in events to large-scale community activities, including those coordinated by the South End Housing Initiative. Her leadership, humility, professionalism, passion, work ethic, and positive attitude were among the qualities noted in the nomination.
“The growth that we’ve seen in Sarah since she first started with us has been exceptional,” said Brittany DePietro, Levesque Institute/IMPACT program manager, who nominated Sarah for the award. “I can’t count how many times I’m asked if Sarah is in the office each day because of the assistance she provides for our various projects. Sarah is truly the ‘go-to’ person of the office, not only because she usually can help, but because she is extremely kind and approachable.”
One of Sarah's main assignments is to coordinate, film, and edit videos that highlight students’ community service. To develop these, she completes the necessary research, films or coordinates the filming, and edits the footage for social media. She also recently looked into options for upgrading the office’s technology and developed a budget for doing so.
Sarah treats everyone who comes to the office with respect and patience, and is able to effectively speak to fellow students, faculty members, and community members alike, DePietro added.
“I have enjoyed watching as Sarah not only took on the position, but has made the work that she does for our office her own,” DePietro said. “It's that passion that makes Sarah a truly outstanding student employee.”