Mengmeng Liu shows that hard work at your job does not go unnoticed.

Liu, senior in accounting, won ISU Student Employee of the Year and the 2010 Student Employee of the Year for Iowa. She received a $1,000 scholarship and a certificate for her achievement.

Liu works within the world languages and cultures department as a teaching assistant. She has been working within the department for two and half years.

After winning the campus competition, Liu went on to compete in the regional and statewide competition. Liu won the statewide competition.

“I was really surprised, and I feel really proud of myself and honored,” Liu said.

ISU employers submitted nominations for the award. The selection was based on the reliability, quality of work, professionalism and interpersonal skills of the employee.

Stated in her nomination letter, “Liu is the ideal TA that every instructor wants. Other TAs … pale in comparison with her in terms of passion for teaching, sense of responsibility, sincerity to help students and the gift to make friends with them.”

Liu has worked for and was nominated by all four instructors in the Chinese Studies program.

According to the nomination letter nominating Liu was no hard task, “This unanimous recommendation has been the easiest decision for the whole program to reach.”

For Liu the best part of the job is getting to talk with the students one on one and learning more about them.

“I like working with students. I think I can provide value for them by talking with them.” Liu said.

The job also is a chance to experience different cultures where she can teach others about her home, China, as well as learn about other traditions and values from the students she is helping.

“I may be able to fulfill their curiosity, not just about Chinese language but culturally too.”

Some of the qualities needed to be a good employee, in Liu’s opinion, are to continually have an open mind as well as having an upbeat and outgoing personality.

Three other students were awarded with distinction for their work on campus; Jeff Askey, junior in agricultural engineering; Dylan Jones, senior in landscape architecture; and Mara Schapman, junior in communications studies.