This letter recommends Paige Barger for Student Employee of the Year. It details how Paige has participated in and mentored for the Experience in Professionalism program for over a year. As a mentor, Paige has taken on additional responsibilities, come up with new ideas to enhance the program, and engaged students at a level expected of a senior as a sophomore. The letter highlights how Paige's leadership and initiative have significantly improved the program. Multiple previous students have inquired about giving back to future students, as Paige has done for them. The letter urges strong consideration of Paige for this award due to her qualifications and contributions to student success.

1. IUPUI OFFICE OF STUDENT EMPLOYMENT | 815 W. MICHIGAN ST.| TAYLOR HALL | THIRD FLOOR | INDIANAPOLIS, IN 46202
EMAIL: jones254@iupui.edu |PHONE: 317-274-3083 | FAX: 317-278-7588 | http://employment.iupui.edu
February 16, 2016
Selection Committee
IUPUI Office of Student Employment
Indianapolis, IN 46202
SEOTY Selection Committee,
Please consider this letter of recommendation for Paige Barger in regards to the Student Employee of the Year nominations. I have
had the pleasure of knowing Paige for over 1 year and I cannot think of a more qualified candidate for this opportunity. In first
meeting Paige when she was a freshman at IUPUI, she decided to participate in a voluntary professionaldevelopment program called
Experience in Professionalism (EIP) which seeks to enhance student’s ability to articulate their experiences and enhance self-efficacy
throughout a 7 week program period. As the coordinator for this program I was able to get to know her very well and gain an
excellent understanding of how exceptional of a student,leader, mentor and person she really is.
Paige is currently a mentor for Experience in Professionalism and has been working with the program for over 7 months. I have
forever been impressed with her accomplishments since meeting her and honored to have her as a mentor. I remember her statin g in
the mentoring interview that one of the reasons she tookpart in EIP was that as a high schoolstudent she had to learn to be
professional very quickly. She did not have anyone there to teach her. She decided that she wanted to engage in this program and
now wanted to offer her experience and knowledge to other students. One of her greatest attributes is her desire to give back to the
IUPUI student population and engage as many students as she can in the EIP program. As a current sophomore at IUPUI she is
engaging undergraduate students in EIP at the level I would anticipate a senior. Her vast knowledge and continual ability to challenge
and excite the students to continue their development has made for the most well-rounded experience students deserve in this program.
Her role as a mentor is to be present at some of the workshops, participate in emailing students,checking in on their goals and
discussing any issues they may have with the program. She is also required to meet with one othermentor and the coordinatorbi-
weekly and participate in providing feedback on students and workshops. Paige has accomplished so much more than this. She has
never been afraid to bring ideas to the table and execute them with the students always in mind. She truly wants them to get the most
out of this program. She decided to start a weekly chat room including topics for students to engage in deeper conversations about the
specific workshops from that week. She engaged in discussion posts to encourage the students which consisted ofover 200 discussion
threads. She requested to assist with making announcements and opening up workshops for the presenters and students. It was her
idea to be one of the speakers at the EIP ceremony and discuss with students howthey can move forward. This was the second round
of mentors and it was the first time the students chose to engage with the mentors and utilize them as their liaisons in getting their
questions answered,reviewing their documents, and managing their struggles with the program and how to move forward over
working with the coordinator directly. She went well above her role in the beginning and for that we have updated and redesigned
what this role looks like for mentors. She is still coming up with wonderful ideas to enhance and market the program this semesteras
well as taking on responsibilities to learn how to make the online format more interactive, to engage in reviewing applicatio n
materials, train new mentors in the upcoming fall semester and connecting with students as they enterthe program. Her leadership
and initiative have enhanced the program immensely.
I have had multiple students fromher first mentoring semester inquire about giving back to future students as she has done for them.
Based on their reviews they were connected to her, understood heras a leader and mentor for their development. She has aided in
developing a pilot mentoring program and turning it into something sustainable and vastly needed to further the success ofth e
undergraduate student participants. I urge you to strongly considerher for Student Employee of the Year.
Thank you for yourtime and I welcome any questions in the future regarding Paige’s qualifications.
Sincerely,
Jenna Corcoran
Student Employment Consultant