Auburn University's Career Development Services honored students who hold jobs this week by sponsoring National Student Employment Week.
"The point of National Student Employment Week is to celebrate the contributions students make to our campus and our community," said Holly Holman, the student employment manager at Career Development Services. "It's to celebrate their accomplishments and the fact that they're taking on additional responsibility by working while they're in school."
Career Development Services sponsored Marble Slab ice cream and giveaways Tuesday and cotton candy and giveaways Wednesday to students.
The cotton candy was originally scheduled for Monday but moved to Wednesday because of bad weather in the area.
"Career Services is sponsoring all of it," Holman said. "We've tried to make it a little bit different each year. We have a great partnership with Marble Slab, so we've had them every year."
In past years, Career Development Services have given away popcorn and Coke and featured a speaker on diversity for the week.
"It's more of a celebration than an awareness," Holman said.
The week ends with the Student Employee of the Year Luncheon Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in the Student Center Ballroom. The luncheon is invitation only, but the giveaways are free to any student.
"We just give it out to anyone that comes by and tell them what it's for," Holman said.
Holman said 35 students were nominated for Student Employee of the Year. The winners will be revealed at Thursday's luncheon.
"To nominate student employees for the award, supervisors fill out an online form, and then they just send in a nomination letter," Holman said. "We have more than 800 employers in our database, including on and off-campus employers, so we just send it out to all of them."
All 35 nominees will receive gift bags, and the winners will receive additional prizes.
Although Career Development Services sponsors Student Employment Week, Holman said some employers have donated things for the awards ceremony.
"I think that Student Employment Week is a great idea," said Marie Simpson, a senior in French who works at Toomer's Drugs. "It takes hard work and long hours to work part-time while being a full-time student, or to work full-time and be a part-time student."
Not all student employees have felt the extra appreciation this week.
"To be honest, I didn't even know it was Student Employment Week," said Brittany Kerrigan, a senior in business. "I suppose it could be helpful for some students."
Kerrigan has worked for the College of Business since May 2006.
Holman said there are between 2000 and 3000 students employed on campus, including both work study and regular student employment.
"For work study, you have to apply for financial aid, and your financial aid application will determine whether or not you qualify for work study," Holman said. "Regular student employment is open to anyone, as long as they're an Auburn student."
Holman said Auburn has held a student employee of the year since 2002, but the award was only open to on-campus student employees until 2006, when the ceremony was expanded to included off-campus student workers.
"It is nice for working students to be recognized," Simpson said.
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