TERRE HAUTE, Ind – The Indiana State University Career Center was honored with two awards from the Midwest Association of Student Employment Administrators (MASEA) at the organization’s annual conference June 12-14 in Columbus, Ohio.
The university’s State Works Award scholarship program earned the MASEA Award for Excellence in Innovation, and Brianne Karazsia, student program coordinator at the Career Center, won the Dan Kreidler Newcomer Award.
“We are fortunate to have a top-notch student employment program at Indiana State. More than 2,000 students work in campus jobs every year. Those jobs provide excellent, hands-on experience while helping students pay for their education,” said Nancy Rogers, vice president of University Engagement. “The university benefits, as well. The energy, creativity, enthusiasm and work ethic our students bring to their jobs have an enormous impact on the institution. This well-deserved recognition from MASEA highlights the great work our student employment team does to make all of this possible.”
Established in 2015, the MASEA Award for Excellence in Innovation is presented to an individual or team that demonstrates a creative or innovative process or best practice that contributes to the overall excellence of the institution’s student employment program, services and/or administration and advancement in the field of student employment.
The State Works initiative was established in 2016 to help alleviate the cost of higher education for qualifying students who gain valuable professional experiences through on-campus jobs. Half the students’ earnings are paid directly to the students, and the other half goes toward tuition, housing and other expenses. Students also are awarded an annual textbook stipend.
“I am proud of the Student Employment Team,” said Tradara McLaurine, executive director of career services. “We have worked hard on the implementation and execution of State Works. The program involves many departments on campus to be successful, so we share this award with them.
Dan Kreidler served as MASEA president, 1989-90, while serving as director of career services for Governors State University and was an instrumental leader for MASEA. Kreidler went on to become the dean of community and economic development for Joliet Junior College in Illinois. Because Kreidler began his unique service to MASEA the second day on the job, this award is named in his honor and is presented to a newcomer who has given a unique contribution to MASEA within two years of his/her membership.
“Brianne has been a great addition to the Career Center. For someone who has been in her role for less than a year, she’s tried to learn as much as possible and be as helpful as she can. I am excited to see her growth within the office and MASEA,” McLaurine said.
“Brianne jumped in to help MASEA so much in such a short period of time. She started at Indiana State in June 2018, and her first conference was in October. She joined the conference planning committee shortly after and presented at the regional conference in Columbus.”
MASEA is a nonprofit, professional organization comprised of administrators and counselors from post-secondary institutions who are involved in securing employment opportunities for students. Fourteen states make up the Midwest region: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, West Virginia and Wisconsin. Go to masea.org for more information.
photo: From left, Brianne Karazsia, student program coordinator at the Indiana State University Career Center, Brittney Gilman, president of MASEA and assistant director of Student Employment Programs at Indiana State, and Tradara McLaurine, executive director of career services at Indiana State, pose for a photograph. Not pictured: Beth Farley, coordinator of Student Employment Programs and State Works.