Nicole Sulla Mathews honored with top student employee award

Nicole Mathews (second from left) with Heather Saito, May Izumi, and Maya Singh at the Student Employee of the Year awards ceremony.

Nicole Sulla Mathews, an office assistant II in the SOEST Student Academic Services (SAS) office, was honored at the 38th Annual Student Employee of the Year Awards Ceremony on April 25 in the Campus Center Ballroom. Mathews was awarded a $750 cash scholarship.

Mathews is a full-time honors student in the Global Environmental Science bachelor’s degree program and has been working in the SAS Office since November 2021. There, she interacts with current and prospective students, creates content for social media and graphics for the weekly undergraduate student newsletter, and organizes events. Additionally, she served as the teaching assistant in the fall 2022 semester for OEST 100: The College Experience, in which she led and facilitated the class meetings with 20 first-year students.

“Nikki is a wonderful and hardworking individual who exemplifies all of the qualities one would want in a student worker and more,” said Heather Saito, director of student academic services, who nominated Mathews. “Now that Nikki has been part of the SAS team for over a year, she is an extremely valuable asset. She creates clear and visually appealing content, and has strong problem-solving skills. Her friendly and open demeanor is perfect for welcoming students and their families into our office.”

UH Mānoa has celebrated the Student Employee of the Year Awards since 1986, recognizing outstanding student employees throughout campus. The awards are from proceeds generated by the annual Craft Fair & Silent Auction, traditionally held on campus on the Friday before Thanksgiving.

The Mānoa Career Center also announced two additional awards to recognize UH Mānoa students’ outstanding work as top employees. 

Read more in UH News.