Region, State and BYU Student Employee of the Year brings together #MyViewFromBYU

PROVO, Utah – Mar 25, 2020 – Each year, BYU employs thousands of students to fill various on-campus roles from foodservice and custodial to peer mentoring and providing campus tours. During the winter semester, BYU employees who supervise students are asked to recommend their candidates for the BYU Student Employee of the Year award. Students are nominated for excellence in their roles in various capacities, including leadership, teamwork, problem-solving and more.

The winner of this year’s award is Summer Herlevi, a social media student employee in University Communications.

Molly Davies in the Physical Facilities division was the first runner-up, and Clark DeFranco on the Wilkinson Student Center support services team was the second runner-up.

If you’ve spent any time browsing BYU’s Instagram account in the last couple of years, you’ve likely seen Herlevi’s work without realizing it. On the social media team, Herlevi runs the #MyViewFromBYU takeover series. This includes the finding, training, implementing and evaluating aspects of each individual takeover and all the other behind the scenes work that goes into the finished product published on BYU’s account.

“Takeovers are amazing because they allow our audience the opportunity to connect with individuals they never would have encountered in their day-to-day BYU experience,” Herlevi said. “In planning and executing the takeovers, I have experienced that firsthand. I've met many inspiring people through managing the takeovers and have certainly broadened my personal BYU community through those interactions.”

Herlevi, a senior graduating in global supply chain management, also proposed an idea for a more efficient way for students and alumni to apply to participate in the takeover series, implementing an online application system for takeovers via a website. This replaced the old method of sorting through direct messages from individuals wanting to do a takeover.

“One of the aspects of global supply chain management that appeals most to me is process improvement and clear communication,” Herlevi added. “I love that when we do things better and more efficiently, we have more time to do more things that give us the opportunity to make a bigger and better difference around us. Launching the application site helped us waste less time communicating the logistics of the application.”

Along with managing the Instagram takeovers, Herlevi has also helped produce Instagram stories covering topics like sexual assault, consent, mental health and respecting differences. She was even one of two on-camera narrators for the sexual assault and consent projects. Herlevi said her involvement in these stories has provided some of the most meaningful experiences she’s had at BYU.

Jon McBride, BYU’s social media manager and Herlevi’s supervisor, nominated her for the award.

“Summer has been a phenomenal resource to our social media team and has made an indelible impact not only on our office but on the entire BYU community,” McBride said. “Our #MyViewFromBYU takeover series has grown into maybe our most important social media property. We see so many cool results behind the scenes and in the DMs that show the power of our community getting a little more proximate to diverse experiences and viewpoints at BYU. Summer’s work has helped make this series what it is, and her work on our other, more-produced, educational Instagram stories has been so incredibly important.”

Since winning the SEOY award at BYU, Herlevi has gone on to win SEOY at both the state and regional levels. Herlevi is now one of four finalists for the National SEOY award, which will be announced later this week.