University Communications and Marketing

April 22, 2009

Contacts:

Office of Career Services, 657-2168
Dan Carter, University Relations, 657-2269

MSU BILLINGS NEWS SERVICES — Codie Wahrman and music go hand-in-hand. When he’s not playing it, he’s studying it. And when he wasn’t helping others play it better this past year, he was immersed in it as a worker.

His dedication not only to his major but his commitment to his job at Montana State University Billings earned him the honor of being selected as local and statewide Student Employee of the Year.

The Student Employee of the Year is an award program coordinated by the Western Association of Student Employment Administrators (WASEA) and the National Student Employment Association (NSEA). MSU Billings is a member of both organizations and the award honors work done by student employees and to encourage students to take pride in their contribution to organizations for which they work.

Wahrman, a senior music education major from Townsend, was nominated by faculty and staff members in the Department of Music, where he has worked since fall semester 2006. They noted how Wahrman goes above and beyond the call of duty, both as a student and as a worker.

“Somehow he keeps track of the various assignments, prioritizes them and accomplishes them in a timely manner,” said Betty Erickson, administrative assistant for the Department of Music. “It is not uncommon to hear that while completing a task, he recognized other projects and took the initiative to finish them as well.”

Stories abound about Wahrman’s willingness to repair music stands, fix a shelf or move musical equipment on his own initiative. He has also been working on organizing CDs for the department’s new music resource library and has been an employee at the Student Union Building.

Dorothea Cromley, co-chair in the Department of Music, said that Wahrman manages recitals, concerns and other performances and “because he so responsible and professional in all that he does,” he has also been given the management of the department’s instrument collection and music library.

Because of his personable demeanor, Wahrman is often tapped to help at regional high school music festivals and competitions as a judge. He said he enjoys those assignments because it is in line with his music educator degree.

Cromley said Wahrman’s love of music, his personality and his work ethic proves he made the right choice.

“He’ll make a tremendous teacher,” she said.

The Student Employee of the Year effort is coordinated by the MSU Billings Office of Career Services. They solicit input and nominations from offices across the university as well as off-campus, non-profit organizations that employ work study students.

Wahrman’s nomination was submitted to the state-level competition, to compete against the campus winners from the other organizations.

For more about student employment or co-operative education opportunities, contact the Office of Career Services at 657-2168.