Announcing the 2026 Student Employees of the Year
April 16, 2026
1st Place Winner - $2,000 Scholarship
Paige France - Paige is a junior majoring in Homeland Security and Emergency Management with a minor in Communications, where she has maintained a 3.97 GPA. She works both as a lifeguard with Recreation and Wellness and as an intern with the Department of Public Safety. Her commitment to safety and service is evident in everything she does.
In Public Safety, Paige helps update campus emergency plans, supports evacuation drills, ensures AEDs are ready to use, and helps create safety guidance for the campus community. She has even contributed to time-sensitive planning, including research and guidance related to a volcanic activity alert impacting university programs. In addition, Paige has played a key role in rebuilding the safety culture at the pool in Reed Gym after it reopened in 2024. As a lifeguard, she is known for her professionalism, strong judgment, and ability to recognize and respond to situations quickly and calmly.
No matter the task, Paige shows up with a positive attitude, a strong work ethic, and a genuine desire to help others. She is respected by her peers and supervisors alike and sets a strong example of what student leadership can look like at ºÚ°µ±¬ÁÏÍø.
2nd Place - $500 Lupher Scholarship
Reece Foulkrod - Reece is a senior majoring in Computer Science and has been working with Research in Intelligence, Game, HCI Technique (RIGHT) Lab as an undergraduate student researcher on a Virtual Reality research project funded by Idaho National Laboratory (INL) through the Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) program since Summer 2025. Throughout his time on this project, Reece has consistently demonstrated exceptional technical ability, initiative, professionalism, and dedication that distinguish him as an outstanding student employee.
3rd Place - $100 Gift Card
Maya Miller - Maya is a senior Social Work student working as a Program Assistant for both Title IX and in the 504 Program. She has demonstrated an exceptional ability to understand complex compliance frameworks and translate them into clear, accessible information for the campus community. Maya consistently identifies opportunities to strengthen outreach and education and follows through with thoughtful, high-quality work. Her passion for advocacy is evident in how she approaches every responsibility with intention and care.
4th Place - Career Center SWAG Bag
Emma Payne (Hammond) - Emma is a sophomore Elementary Education Major working as an office assistant in the Public Safety Office. Emma assists customers with professionalism and patience. Her ability to think critically and resolve issues independently ensures that our office and department functions at a high level. Emma consistently goes above and beyond the expectations of a student employee. She does more than complete assigned tasks, she takes ownership of her role. When challenges arise, she steps in without hesitation, evaluates the situation, and works toward resolution. Her initiative reduces issues, improves workflow, and supports both staff and customers. She understands that her role directly impacts the overall success of our department and the entire university, and she approaches each day with that level of commitment.
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College of Arts and LettersCollege of EducationCollege of Health ProfessionsCollege of Science and EngineeringUniversity News