Student EotY Winners | Messiah, a private Christian University in PA

Student Employee of the Year

Congratulations to our Student Employee of the Year Nominees and thank you to all student employees for the hard work you provide that helps make Messiah University a wonderful place to be. Stay up to date on our social media (@messiahstudentemployment on Instagram) for student highlights during Student Employee Appreciation Week.

Nate Castellitto
Student Employee of the Year

Congratulations to Nate Castellitto for being selected as Messiah’s 2023 Student Employee of the Year!

Nate is a senior English major with plans to pursue a writing career. He works as a department assistant in the Department of Language, Literature and Writing. In his two years, Nate saw through the inception of ‘The Word’, a quarterly newsletter for the English program and produced ‘Writer Talks’, the program’s very first podcast which features conversations with student writers, faculty writers and visiting writers at Messiah. Nate exemplifies how initiative and proposing ideas creates opportunities for students and he hopes students seek opportunities to work with their department given the chance. In his time here, Nate has enjoyed sharing his insights to prospective students and has established himself as a well-rounded creative professional. Congratulations, Nate and thank you for your excellent work!

Jordan Zercher
Runner-Up

Jordan is a senior majoring in Social Work. She is a student assistant in the Department of Social Work. Jordan went above and beyond during the department’s transition to an online platform. She was the point person helping with organizing data, interacting with programmers and providing orientation to faculty, student and staff. Jordan loves collaborating with the social work professors and keeping the students informed. Jordan believes she has learned a lot working with the department and is honored to have the opportunity to promote such an amazing program to the student body. Thank you, Jordan and congratulations on earning the 2nd place award!

Noah Andrews
Honorable Mention

Noah is a senior double major in Mathematics and Finance. He plans to attain his Fellowship of the Society of Actuaries (FSA) and go to graduate school for a Masters or PhD. Noah works as a teaching assistant in the Department of Computing, Mathematics and Physics. In his time there, he thoughtfully curated three projects for the Mathematics of Finance course. Noah leveraged his previous internship experience to design industry-relevant and applicable projects that challenged students to develop technical and logical reasoning skills. He has enjoyed his time tutoring students and finds it fulfilling when they are able to grasp difficult concepts for the first time. Noah believes that being a T.A. helps students grow their communication skills and presentation abilities. Thank you, Noah for your excellent work!

Asia Perera
Honorable Mention

Asia is a sophomore majoring in Organismal Biology and works as an Office Assistant with the Department of Multicultural and International Student Programs. She is a third-culture kid (TCK) from Thailand who loves connecting with the international community and cares deeply about Diversity and Inclusive Excellence. Asia played a big part in ensuring the Office of International Student Programs (ISP) ran smoothly despite losing their part-time advisor earlier in the academic year. Asia believes she has grown in her intercultural communication and in building connections with people from various backgrounds. She sees her student job as a great way to get involved in the multicultural and international community at Messiah.

Congratulations to All of Our Nominees!

	Kelly Anderson Nominee Kelly is a sophomore Nursing major with plans to work in an Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Kelly brings a proactive attitude as a student office assistant in the Vice Provost’s Office of Student Success and Engagement (SSE). Her impeccable work ethic helps keep the office running. Kelly accomplishes multifaceted projects, never hesitating to self-learn new things that help her complete projects successfully. Kelly encourages students to work on campus as she believes it is one of the best ways to learn your way around campus and get connected to the community.
	Jared Diethrich Nominee Jared is a senior Nursing major who hopes to become a critical care flight nurse and nursing professor. He works as a Supplemental Instruction (SI) leader in the Nursing department. Jared loves creating an environment in which students can be comfortable and truly learn. During his time, he collaborated with Sami Pangle to create a “Nursing Boot Camp 101” session which equipped students with studying strategies. Jared emphasizes the importance of SI leaders getting feedback from students and focus on their specific needs. Ultimately, he challenges future SI leaders to be ready to adapt every single SI session, never get comfortable, and truly have fun!
	Sawyer Haney Nominee Sawyer Haney is a sophomore Electrical Engineering major with an avid love for the Esports program. He works as an Esports Facilities Assistant in the Office of Student Engagement (Esports). Sawyer works closely with on campus leaders in the Office of Student Engagement to advocate for the needs of the program, even presenting a budget proposal to the board. Through this Sawyer was exposed to professional communication needed in working environments and in organizing tournaments for the program. Sawyer believes he has grown in his IT Support and Infrastructure knowledge, overseeing the diagnostics and repair of over 20 PCs and Esports equipment. He advises students looking to work in this role to be well rounded and ready to tackle any project necessary!
	Bre Jantz Nominee .Bre is a senior History major who plans to teach high school and become a softball and basketball coach. She works as a Student Traffic Officer and Safe Walk Ride driver with the Department of Safety. During her time, she was lead officer for one of the largest events on campus, directing hundreds of visitors and ensuring other officers felt valued during the event. Bre has an excellent posture encountering difficult interactions and works hard to keep campus safe. She is also reliable and always willing to take on last minute changes without complaint. Her resiliency is an indispensable asset in the Department of Safety. Through this role, she has learned to confidently interact with various people and meet a lot of great people!
	Elisabeth Kolb Nominee Elisabeth is a junior Public Relations major who hopes to venture into the world of event planning after graduation. She finds working as a Sustainability Communication Coordinator rewarding, as she has been able to grow immensely over the past two years. Her job entails being creative, having good time management skills and not being afraid to make mistakes! Elisabeth helps the Sustainability Department bring an aesthetic edge and has increased the department’s social media visibility through cross-university collaborations, newsletters and producing marketing materials. Overall, she has been able to develop deep and meaningful relationships with the team and grown in her passion to live sustainably.
	Joshua Rosengrant Nominee Josh is a senior Computer Engineering major with hopes of working in the field of Artificial Intelligence and Robotics. He works with the Campus Events department here at Messiah and leads in the Messiah Game Association. Joshua feels like the best part of his job is the solitude it provides him away from classes. During his time here, he has learned to adapt to unpredictable circumstances and work independently. He recommends a position in Campus Events to students looking for a job that allows them a good mental break from academics and earn extra income!
	Nicholas Shover Nominee Nick is a senior Business Administration major who interns with the Finance Department here at Messiah. Nick enjoy working with technology to find creative solutions to benefit the University’s Endowment Fund. During his time, he automated the department’s tracking system, saving hours of manual labor for the department. His critical thinking and fundamental analysis on specific stocks exceeded expectations. Nick emphasizes the importance of double checking one’s work to ensure accuracy. He has enjoyed being able to positively impact the University’s Endowment Fund and produce reliable data for university stakeholders.
	Eli Whitehead-Zimmers Nominee Eli is a senior Physics major who has served as a Resident Assistant (RA) for over two years. During his time as an RA, Eli has been able to develop several soft skills and self-awareness, which has been an invaluable resource for him. Apart from growth, the most rewarding part would be the fun of connecting with residents. ResLife has taught Eli that a “dream job” often has to do more with the people than the actual work. In the future, he hopes to work with a passionate, down-to-earth team that cares about doing good work - ideally, somewhere in the data analytics field.
	Aleesa Wu Nominee Aleesa is a junior Civil Engineering major and serves as the Student Waste Coordinator for the Office of Sustainability. Aleesa is incredibly dedicated to her work to reduce campus waste. During her time, she has coordinated several events including ‘Campus Race to Zero Waste” and “Swap & Mend” in which students can thrift donated clothes and bring clothes they wish to be repaired. Her efforts came to fruition when the Office of Sustainability successfully thwarted approximately 3000 pounds of clothing and food from going into the landfill. Aleesa believes she has learned to be flexible and resilient to challenges in her role. She encourages all students to stop by the Office of Sustainability for a snack or to share their interest in sustainability!
	Kayla Zerbe Nominee Kayla works as a Department Assistant in the Department of Psychology, Criminal Justice and Sociology. Through her role she has helped the department meet several important academic goals and brainstorm programs that help equip students with interview skills. Kayla has had the opportunity to engage in event planning, recruitment and inviting eligible members into the Psi Chi International Honor Society in Psychology and assist in the Induction Ceremony event preparation. She has been an asset to the department, positively encouraging students with her intentionality and caring attitude.
	Karla Zima-Doyle Nominee Karla is a senior Human Development and Family Science (HDFS) major with plans to become a marriage and family therapist. She serves as a student office assistant for the HDFS department. Karla cherished this opportunity as it allowed her to develop meaningful connections with people in her department and taught her how to balance the daily demands as an employee. During her time, she supported many HDFS classes through creating course materials, presentations and training her peers with skills on formatting presentations for flatbed printing. Karla recommends students to take opportunities to get involved in their departments to gain valuable insights and learn new skills in planning and execution of events.