Tj Nguyen, a senior in mechanical engineering, received the National Student Employee of the Year Award from the National Student Employment Association — the first Auburn student to win the award at this level. Nguyen has worked for Auburn’s College of Sciences and Mathematics Outreach Office for four years, where he has served as technical director for the War Eagle BEST robotics program, counselor for the Science Matters summer program for children, and instructor of a new robotics academy, to be held this summer. Nguyen was also honored with Auburn’s Student Employee of the Year Award and the Southern Association of Student Employment Administrators Regional Student Employee of the Year Award — Auburn’s first regional winner since 2002. Outside of work, Nguyen is a member of the college’s Cupola Engineering Ambassadors and service and outreach chair of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE), where he is serving his third term and is the only active male. Nguyen is helping SWE become involved with the local community by leading an engineering exhibition at Auburn’s Drake Middle School that he has helped organize the past two years. The event showcases the college’s departments to seventh grade students. Recently, Nguyen organized a tie-dye event for local Girl Scout troops where SWE volunteers explained chemical processes, efficiency, light and color to more than 200 Girl Scouts.

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