Congratulations to Dining Services Student Program Coordinator Maia Schwing for being named UConn’s Student Employee of the Year!

Maia’s journey with Dining Services shows just how much someone can grow through hard work and consistency. She started in Spring 2023 as a student worker at Gelfenbien, helping with cleaning tasks and light food prep while learning how everything worked behind the scenes. By the end of that semester, she had already stood out and was promoted to Supervisor for Fall 2023. Soon after, she stepped into an Assistant Student Manager role, assuming greater responsibility and supporting day-to-day operations.

In Spring 2024, Maia worked at both Buckley and Gelfenbien before becoming Student Manager for Fall 2024. While at Towers, she led a team of about 40 student employees and focused on improving training and fostering a positive, supportive work environment.

In Spring 2025, she was selected as a Student Program Coordinator (SPC), a role she has now held for nearly a year. In this position, Maia helps oversee student employment across Dining Services, supporting more than 1,000 student employees and working with student leaders to keep things running smoothly. She’s also helped show that these jobs are about more than just the basics—they’re a chance for students to build real skills and connections.

Maia is currently a senior studying mathematics and secondary mathematics education and will graduate at the end of this semester. She’ll be returning for a graduate year to pursue a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction while continuing in her SPC role. After UConn, she plans to stay in Connecticut and become a high school math teacher.

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