Michelle Aguilar, senior administrative assistant in the Office of Student Diversity and Inclusion, has been awarded 2017 Texas State Employee of the Year for her service on campus and in the San Marcos community.
“I love helping the community,” Aguilar said. “My mother was the same way. She instilled that in us when we were little. We’ve always stuck to what she said. When someone needs a helping hand, we are there.”
Aguilar’s award highlights the rising attendance of students visiting the Student Office of Diversity and Inclusion.
“SDI works with everybody underrepresented: LGBT people, veterans and we hustle as a team,” Aguilar said. “I think not only did I win it, but we all won the award.”
Artie Rose-Hernandez, Texas State alumnus, believes this win is important for all the people protected and included in the SDI Office.
“I am so honored and proud to hear about her award for the communities represented by the SDI,” Rose-Hernandez said.
The Employee of the Year award is chosen from a committee within the Division of Finance and Support Services.
Nancy Nusbaum, chair of the Staff Employee Recognition Committee, has helped select candidates for nearly nineteen years. The award recognition program has been in place for nearly thirty years. Every month, the selection team comes together to review nominations coming from Texas State faculty.
“In Michelle Aguilar’s case, we had a lot of information about what she does outside of her job,” Nusbaum said. “Her volunteer work made an impact on the committee.”
At the end of the fiscal year, Nusbaum and the committee gather up all the Employee of the Month winners and begin the nomination for Employee of the Year.
“You have to be Employee of the Month to win Employee of the Year,” Nusbaum said.
The committee then submits a recommendation to President Denise Trauth with an alternate selection, and a decision from the president is made.
Aguilar was surprised her off-campus service was taken into consideration.
“Something that stuck with me was what the president read,” Aguilar said.  “She spoke about how I help with our office program here, but how I am also linked to outside organizations, helping students and people in need. When she read about what I do outside of campus, it got to me and made me feel honored. I didn’t know anybody knew what I did outside of my daily work here.”
The Employee of the Year recipient receives a monetary award and a parking space for the year, wherever they would like.
Aguilar credited her fellow colleagues for her award.
“I could not have achieved my successes without attributing a thank you to Dr. Sherri Benn, Dr. Stella Silva, Jonnie Wilson, Jesse Silva, Robert Garcia and Jasmin Valdez,” Aguilar said.