Student Employee/Supervisor of the Year
Each spring, UND in conjunction with the National Student Employment Association (NSEA) coordinates a Student Employee of the Year program to recognize the outstanding contributions and achievements of students who work while attending UND.
2023 Student Employee Nominations
The nomination process for the 2023 UND Student Employee of the Year is currently closed. Please check back in December for more information on the 2024 Student Employee and Student Employee Supervisor nomination process.
nominate student employee of the year.
Runner-ups may be nominated for Annual Awards based on the five National Association of College Employers (NACE) competencies:
- Community Service
- Diversity & Inclusion
- Leadership
- Technology & Innovation
- Critical Thinking
2023 Student Employee of the Year

Laura Farder, 2023 Student Employee of the Year
Join us in Celebrating Laura Farder as UND’s 2023 Student Employee of the Year! Laura was nominated be her colleagues within the Health and Wellness Department. She was also awarded the $500 Student Employee of the Year Scholarship courtesy of the Office of Student Finance.
- Laura has made an immediate impact on the team and members within the Health and Wellness Department at the University of North Dakota. She is willing to help wherever possible, fills in for shifts for her teammates to ensure that the facility stays available to the members.
- Laura is a genuinely compassionate person and has demonstrated this with her roles in Wellness. She seeks out chances to connect with members, such as providing tours, helping find equipment for them, filling in shifts in a pinch & carrying on conversations with all she encounters to make sure everyone around here feels welcome & that they matter. Laura is a positive student employee and is willing to provide feedback and suggestions to improve the operation all while keeping their members experience in mind. Laura has provided ideas on how to engage with members more readily and how to keep conduct within the weight room a more positive experience.
- Laura is the person who always has a smile on her face, will ask you about how you are doing and genuinely wants to make sure that her teammates and all of our members have a good experience. She works hard to make everyone feel welcome and feel like they belong to the entire University of North Dakota Community.
Student Employment Supervisor of the Year (SESOTY)
Each year, the University of North Dakota, in conjunction with the Midwest Association of Student Employment Administrators (MASEA), coordinates the Student Employment Supervisor of the Year Award (SESOTY).
The goal of this program is to celebrate the accomplishments of those that are working directly with our student employees in supervisory roles. This award was established to recognize the invaluable role our supervisors play in the development of our student employees. Acting as role models, mentors, coaches, and more – our supervisors provide education outside the classroom.
Student employees or colleagues may nominate student employment supervisors who they feel are especially worthy of recognition based on their performance on the job. Nominations will be judged on the following characteristics: mentoring, professionalism and excellent leadership provided to the student employee.
2023 Supervisor Nominations
The nomination process for the 2023 UND Student Employee Supervisor of the Year is currently closed. Please check back in December for more information on the 2024 Student Employee and Student Employee Supervisor nomination process.
2023 Student Employee Supervisor of the Year
Anna Kinney from the TTaDa Department was recognized as the 2023 UND Student Employee of the Year! Anna was recognized for the invaluable experiences she provides to the department student employees, and her commitment to mentorship. Join us in celebrating Anna on her Achievement.
- Anna leads with expertise, knowledge, and skill but also by example. She “walks the walk” and brings a servant approach to leadership to her work. Students know they are cared for and that she is going above and beyond her responsibilities in ensuring that they have a supportive and welcoming experience in the Writing Center.
- Anna’s strength is notable and her work with student tutors and users of the center is exemplary. Unquestionably she provides the student tutors with highly professional, quality training. A colleague noted, “Anna is a great fit to lead the Writing Center. She is never afraid to speak her mind, yet she is eloquent in how she gets her point across."
- Students who work in the Writing Center receive mentorship in collaborative leadership. Anna engages the tutors in conversations about how the center should be run, asks them to take ownership of both their individual work and their collective efforts, and nurtures their own sense of agency as people who can have a big positive impact on others.
- Anna is student centered. She models for the tutors the ways in which to help writers see writing as a process—she embraces the growth mindset that all students can become better writers and she applies that belief in all students’ potential to the tutors in the center as well. She has the right mix of providing support and fostering their autonomy
- Anna supports the tutors beyond their center work and has created a community of mutual peer support. She attends events in which students present their writing and champions their academic career as well as their professional career post-graduation. She sees the students as whole people and strives to ensure their well-being. It is most accurate to describe Anna as the best possible example of true passion, diligence, and genuine belief in the work she does. Grounded in that conviction, her work is excellent. Her style is to be thorough, generous, supportive, and hard-working.
Tutor testimonial: "When I started working at the writing center, I was thrilled to be working with Anna as she teaches with such enthusiasm. Whenever I had a question or concern, she was always available to speak with me and help until I understood. Anna constantly strives not only to improve her own skills, but to help others in doing the same.
Student Employee Testimonial: “I would like to acknowledge the nomination of Anna Kinney for supervisor of the year and give my recommendation. Anna is the best employer I have had the opportunity to work with; her professionalism, attitude, kindness, and knowledge are exceptional, and I couldn’t ask for a better individual to lead a program. She strives to do any task she receives with efficiency, diligence, and excellence. Her personable nature and extroverted personality are key factors in making all of the writing consultants feel welcome and appreciated. "
Past Winners
Student Employee of the Year (SEOTY) Winners
- 2021 SESOTY Winner
- 2021 Annual Award Winners
- 2020 SEOTY Winners
- 2018 SEOTY Winners
- 2017 SEOTY Winners
- 2016 SEOTY Winners
- 2015 SEOTY Winners
Student Employee Supervisor of the Year (SESOTY) Winners
For questions, please contact:
UND Student Employment
UND.studentemployment@UND.edu