Gisselle Giron

University of Essex students Gisselle Giron and Alin Petcu have won the regional stages of the Student Employee of the Year competition in their categories, beating competition from across the UK.

Gisselle and Alin were also highly commended in the national final.

The Student Employee of the Year (SEOTY) awards recognise and celebrate the work of students who combine their studies with a part-time job. Their success demonstrates exceptional reliability, quality of work, initiative, and professionalism.

Gisselle is an intern in the Arts Education Outreach team at the University’s Colchester Campus. She works on various creative projects across the University. She has been recognised for her outstanding work, devotion to the arts and expanding the impact of the arts, as well as her hard work.

“It has been a joy to have Gisselle as part of our team working on our arts workshops, projects and events. Taking advantage of every opportunity offered to her, Gisselle has been adding to her portfolio of experiences, learning and growing but also challenging, and pushing for positive change. She is highly focussed, innovative in her approach, pragmatic and vibrant.”, said Kate Beckwith from the Arts Education Outreach team, who nominated Gisselle.

Gisselle, who is doing an MA in Art History, said: “My position has allowed me to work alongside inspiring women who helped me sharpen my vision of the social roles of art as well as expand my skillset. It has been a fantastic opportunity to gain valuable experience in a wonderfully supportive working environment.”

Alin won the Step up to Leadership category after working in the Amigos Mexican Restaurant in Colchester as an Assistant Manager. He was responsible for overseeing the restaurant alongside his manager and help out with administrative work.

He said: “This nomination was a confirmation that hard work and good work ethics do pay off. My job also gave me the confidence to deal with any situation quickly and professionally.”

Ian Goldsworthy, the Manager who nominated Alin, said: “As soon as we heard about the award we felt Alin deserved the recognition. He deserves all the accolades possible because he is a great team member and he can tackle anything.”