Winners Announced for Student Employee of the Year

The Cornell Public Service Center’s (PSC) Community Work Study Program hosted the annual 2021 Student Employee of the year awards this past April.  This year, there was an off-campus recipient selected from the off-campus Community Work Study Program and a second on-campus winner selected from Cornell’s Campus and Community Engagement unit.  The award allows us to recognize the valuable contributions made by student employees.

Jordine Williams ‘22, from the Cornell Public Service Center’s Translator Interpreter Program, was the Campus and Community Engagement’s recipient.  The Translator Interpreter Program (TIP) is a student-run program of the PSC. It provides free volunteer translation and interpretation in emergency and non-emergency situations as community service to Tompkins County and beyond.  Williams manages the day-to-day operations of the TIP program which includes managing a student board of 20 that recruit multilingual Cornell students as volunteer translators and interpreters.  She ensures that all facets of the program are functional.  Williams was nominated for the award by Joyce Muchan of Cornell’s Public Service Center. “Much of if not all of the work that Jordine facilitates is the tedious behind-the-scenes work that could go unnoticed if one did not understand that behind a successful program is students like Jordine that are dedicated, hardworking, and committed to ensuring equal justice for all no matter what language they speak.” -Joyce Muchan
 

Ryan Stasolla ‘21, from the Center for Transformative Action’s Lyson Center Project, was the recipient of the off-campus award.  Stasolla’s work was recognized by the North American Food Systems Network (NAFSN) and the Thomas A. Lyson Center for Civic Agriculture and Food Systems, a project of the Center for Transformative Action.  NAFSN is a professional development association for people working to strengthen local and regional food systems.  Stasolla has contributed to the work of NAFSN during three of his undergraduate years at Cornell. Few in the organization can match his base of knowledge about their web-based resources and the trends he has witnessed throughout his experience.  Stasolla’s work requires technical, outreach, and collaborative skills; he brings a gentle and genuine balance of all three.  Stasolla was nominated for the award by Duncan Hilchey of the Lyson Center, and Kim Hines of NAFSN. “Ryan puts himself out there, which is exactly how systemic changes in food systems often start.”  -Kim Hines

Please join us in congratulating Jordine Williams and Ryan Stasolla for their extraordinary dedication to their positions, and the community at large.

To learn more about the Community Work Study Program, visit psc.cornell.edu or email cwsp-psc@cornell.edu.