Ashley Vu received an out-of-state scholarship to attend Washington State University and in return, fully immersed herself in giving back to the University.

Vu is a junior mechanical engineering and pre-medicine major. In recognition of Vu’s involvement and achievement, she received the Student Employee of the Year award for her work as an Alumni Relations Intern for the Alumni Association.

Vu accepted the internship position in 2013 and is now the president of the Student Alumni Ambassadors, which is a club that works with the Alumni Association.

“I was so…blessed to even have this job really young,” Vu said. “A lot of people don’t want to work with freshmen right away.”

Vu coordinates events that connect alumni, the Pullman community, and current students and staff to the university.

Carrie Neppel, strategic events manager for the Alumni Association, has worked with Vu for more than two years.

“Just watching her be able to lead a group, to give the students direction and be a mentor to them has been so fun to watch,” Neppel said.

Vu is heavily involved on campus. She is a teaching assistant in the School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, a mentor in the Office of Multicultural Student Services, an Honors College student, a member of the Board of Directors for the Students Book Corporation (Bookie Board) and Alumni Association.

“I like being involved in everything rather than being super involved in just one thing,” Vu said.

Her involvement has been recognized not only in her work but also in her personal development.

“She’s just doing so many different things and is getting just a taste of so many different parts of campus life, and she can bring that all to work and I think it’s just helped her grow as a person overall,” Neppel said.

Neppel acknowledged Vu’s growth in the past two years.

“I think now, she is so confident in what she’s doing with us and the work that she’s doing, that she kind of just knows that she can do a good job,” Neppel said.

Kristi Boone is the program specialist for the Alumni Association and has also watched Vu make strides in school and work settings.

“She’s gotten good at giving feedback and ideas,” Boone said. “She’s very dedicated to what she takes on.”

One accomplishment Vu contributed to the Alumni program is the creation of a new, more efficient website.

“This job definitely doesn’t have anything to do with my major, but it’s been really helpful to me and I feel like I’ve been really helpful for what they do and the support that they need,” Vu said.

From working for the Alumni Association, Vu said she would take away valuable skills.

“I was taught how to do a lot Microsoft stuff and I really enjoyed taking that away… I don’t think I would have necessarily gotten that in a class,” Vu said.

Vu has one more year as an undergraduate student at WSU and her plan is to pursue the new WSU medical school after she graduates.

“Long-term goal, I just want to stay in Eastern Washington and practice medicine,” Vu said.

Neppel said that Vu would no doubt succeed in whatever path she pursues.

“She knows what she wants to do and she knows what she has to do to get there,” Neppel said. “She’s very strong in that respect.”