Shelby Sieren has been named Wartburg College’s 2013 Student Employee of the Year for her work assisting others in their studies.

Sieren, a biology major from Keota and the outstanding senior in her department, was honored for providing academic assistance as a Supplemental Instruction leader, mentor and manager in the college’s Pathways Center.

“I have never viewed my role with Pathways and the SI Program as work,” Sieren said. “I love having a positive influence on the academic success of so many other students in the classes where I serve as an SI leader and for students in classes influenced by the SI leaders I mentor.”

Sieren was a leader for such classes as Extreme Biology, How Animals Work and Genetics. “I attended class with the students and led weekly review and study sessions to help them learn and prepare for their tests and gain study skills,” she said.

As a mentor, she helped new leaders plan sessions and incorporate study skills into sessions.

During her senior year she worked as a manager for Kelly Beck, Pathway’s academic success associate, who nominated her for the award.

“Shelby has proven herself to be a leader, not only among her peers, but to the campus community as a whole,” Beck said. “She clearly embodies the type of leader Wartburg aims to produce.”

Sieren will begin work on her master’s degree in medical genetics at the University of Wisconsin at Madison next fall with the goal of becoming a genetics counselor.

“I hope to work as a teaching assistant at UW-Madison where my experience as an SI leader will come in very handy,” she said.