Celebrating Genevieve Nhan, Finalist for the President’s Student Employee of the Year Award
Genevieve Nhan, a Facility Supervisor at RecSports’ outdoor facilities, ends her work shift well after most RecSports employees have already arrived home. She spends her time at work navigating the unique challenges that come with running a large team of student staff, often outside of standard regular business hours, when facilities are run almost entirely thanks to the leadership of student employees. Despite these challenges, Genevieve excels at not only her job but also at building relationships with her team. So it should come as no surprise that she was recently recognized for her hard work.
Genevieve was recently named one of the top 10 finalists for the President’s Student Employee of the Year Award. The award recognizes one outstanding student employee at The University of Texas at Austin who has positively impacted the university with their exceptional work. She joins a small, distinguished group of student employees to be honored by the university. Genevieve is the ninth RecSports student employee since 2018 to be named a finalist.
Genevieve joined Team RecSports in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic as a second-semester freshman, and she helped guide her team through the closure of many RecSports facilities. She created training sessions and virtual team gatherings to keep her community together so that when the time came for RecSports to re-open facilities, the department had the staff in place and ready to serve the campus community. Now that the facilities are open full-time, Genevieve says her favorite part of RecSports is seeing people in what she describes as a “youthful” aspect of themselves when they get to compete with their peers and have fun.
Outside of RecSports, Genevieve is a junior Advertising major and is very active in her church. She also serves as the Event Experience Coordinator for the 2023 Longhorn Run. While this is her first year serving on the committee, she is already set to leave her mark in the many ways she has contributed to enhancing the race day experience for all participants.
Genevieve’s willingness to step up in challenging situations isn’t the only thing that prompted her supervisor, Ross Rodriguez, associate director for outdoor satellites, to nominate her for this annual award. She’s also known for her ability to effectively lead a team and create a wonderful community. “Genevieve’s intentional actions make her team a stronger unit and create a family-like environment. She invests in her teammates, giving them time to make sure they feel connected to our leadership and heard as a member of our team,” he says.
Reflecting on her time on Team RecSports, Genevieve notes that she “would never have gotten this far without her team” and is “so grateful for all of her team, past and present.” While her dedication to her role is readily apparent, Genevieve particularly shines in creating a community within her team and displaying a willingness to be a leader. We are grateful to have her leadership on Team RecSports. Congratulations, Genevieve!
Story by Riley Foster, Copywriting Intern
