Triplett named UNC Charlotte Student Employee of the Year

Kenley Triplett, a May 2020 graduate and geography major, is the 2020 UNC Charlotte Student Employee of the Year. She’s been honored for her work with the Cone University Center and the Popp Martin Student Union since the fall of 2017.

Triplett began her employment at the Popp Martin Student Union as an Information Desk Attendant, one of the approximately 20 student employees who staff the Union Information Desk from 7 a.m. to 1 a.m. daily and see an average number of 12,000 visitors during the week.

By the fall of 2019, Triplett was promoted to the Student Lead for the Union Information Desk due to her demonstrated leadership abilities and work ethic. Triplett was nominated by Michael Avery, assistant director at the Cone University Center, who cited her growth as a “teacher and mentor to the students she supervises on a daily basis” and the development of new training programs.

One of Triplett’s greatest accomplishments was proposing and implementing a plan to merge the Student Union Information Attendants and the Cone University Center Receptionist/Information Desk staff. In only two months, she fully trained and integrated all employees and schedules for both buildings.

“The Student Union and Cone Center are more customer-service oriented, productive and well-run venues because of the dedication, resourcefulness, professionalism, [innovation] and genuine warmth shown by Kenley,” said Avery.

Typically, Human Resources hosts a Student Employment Recognition breakfast in April to celebrate not only the Student Employee of the Year, but also to honor 12 additional exemplary student workers who were nominated for Student Employee of the Year.

Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the event was canceled this year, but Teresa Shook, the University’s student employment coordinator, and Triplett’s colleagues wanted to make sure she received her award. She continued to work as an essential employee on campus, and on her last day, Shook coordinated with her colleagues to surprise her with an engraved “Norm the Niner” statue.

The theme for this year’s award was “worth your weight in gold.” Speaking of our honorees and the approximately 5,000 student employees working at UNC Charlotte, Shook said, “Their contributions to the University workforce are so useful and valuable that we could not manage without them. Kenley and our other student workers are truly worth their weight in gold!”

The other nominees for the 2020 Student Employee of the Year were:

  • Grayson Henley—Botanical Gardens

  • Savannah Demao—College of Computing and Informatics Advising Center

  • Olivia Pike—Computer Science

  • Marisol Alvarez—Social Work

  • Genevieve Wiegleb—Venture Outdoor Leadership

  • Nakeyah Terry—Middle, Secondary & K-12 Education

  • Symonne Martin—University Advancement

  • Joaly Canseco—Special Education

  • Adam Ellis—Research and Economic Development

  • Roman Maise—UREC

  • Miguel Miller—SAC and Venue Management

  • Monique Mann—Donor Relations

Story: Caitlin Mauk