The Department of Recreation and Wellness employs 200 to 300 BGSU Students each year. These students are all individuals who believe in RecWell programs and are passionate about their work. In order to continue the excellence these students offer to the program, it is critical to show them the recognition they deserve.
One of the most traditional ways RecWell implements recognition into the workplace is selecting an employee of the month. Students are chosen by the Student Employee Board each month. The board submits names of students they feel have earned this title, discuss the nominees and then vote.
Associate Director of Programs, Cathy Swick, explained students were chosen for this departmental honor. “Student Supervisors from every group in the department, Aerobics to Zamboni, nominate a student employee whom they feel deserves the recognition, then usually one student is chosen.”
So far this year, eight student employees have earned the Employee of the Month title.
September-Ellen Borer
October-Adie Heyne
November-Lindsay Helm
December-Jeremy Lewis, Mike Swartz, Rob Whitaker
January- Ryan Rampe
February- Kaitlyn Koby
Student Recreation Center Employee, Ellen Borer, discussed her reaction to receiving this honor. “To me, being awarded Employee of the Month means that hard work and completing assigned tasks pays off (in the delicious form of Cookie Jar), and that doing a little extra can make a big difference.”
When named Student of the Month, students receive a certificate that reads “Employee of the Month”, their name and picture on the RecWell web site, and the student favorite: a gift certificate to The Cookie Jar.
Lindsay Helm, SRC Employee, explained how nice it is to be recognized. “As a student worker, a lot of the time it feels like you are assigned the grunt work,” she said. “It is an honor to receive this award, because it makes you feel appreciated for all of the hard work you put in to the high standards of the department.”
While Employee of the month is a monthly incentive program, there are other incentives that encourage students to work hard on a daily basis. Incentives such as Rec Bucks, the Student Development and Leadership Series and end of the semester banquets ensure that students receive the recognition they deserve year round.
The Department of Recreation and Wellness is extremely proud of the student staff. “Our students tend to go above and beyond,” said Swick. “We are very lucky.”