Honors College’s Melissa Jasek receives 2024 Martin Award

If you step into the National and International Scholarships Office (NISO) with a question, there’s a pretty good chance Melissa Jasek will have the answer. And if she doesn’t, you can almost guarantee she knows someone who does.

As the lead administrative assistant for NISO and the John Martinson Honors College’s (JMHC) community engagement team, that’s just part of her job. Not listed in the job description, though, is the patience, kindness, enthusiasm and professionalism Jasek brings to every interaction — qualities that led her to be selected as the winner of the university’s 2024 Eudoxia Girard Martin Memorial Staff Recognition Award.

The annual award recognizes a full-time administrative assistant on the West Lafayette campus who demonstrates qualities of heart, mind and spirit that evince a love for and helpfulness to students, faculty and staff. Brenda Coulson, senior director of talent acquisition, presented the award to Jasek during a Dec. 5 JMHC luncheon. The award consists of a medallion, a framed description of Eudoxia Girard Martin’s life and a $1,000 honorarium.

Housed in the JMHC, NISO is the university’s resource for connecting Purdue students to prestigious awards, and Jasek’s desk is often the very first stop for faculty, staff and students who interact with the office. There, you’ll find her helping students complete W-9 forms and other paperwork, connecting with faculty who serve on NISO’s selection and nomination committees, and teaching other colleagues how to perform certain administrative tasks.

Going above and beyond in her role to help others is simply the norm for Jasek, whose only motive is supporting the university and its employees.

“It takes all of us to make this university work,” Jasek says. “And if I help somebody, then they’re going to be able to help somebody else. I look at it that way, and I just put out there what I would like to have in return.”

Jasek also supports the office in other critical ways, like arranging interviews and meetings, organizing application packages, ordering office supplies, reserving rooms, coordinating events and maintaining positive relationships with deans and department heads across all of the university’s schools and colleges.

But even in her down time, Jasek is never idle. She’s always eager to learn more, whether that means pursuing online training to better understand NISO’s database, completing LinkedIn Learning professional development opportunities or pursuing associate’s and bachelor’s degrees through Purdue Global.

Letters supporting Jasek’s nomination underscored her exceptional ability to work and think ahead of schedule, showcasing her deep institutional knowledge.

“Melissa has been the catalyst for improvements motivated by serving the campus community well,” one nominator wrote. “She anticipates problems that don’t yet exist, takes initiative to develop solutions and brings those to the rest of the team. Melissa is often one step ahead of me, and countless times I have gone to her with an idea only to find she already had the idea and is working on execution.”

Always keeping herself busy, Jasek even sets aside time to represent the Purdue community as a member of the Campus Support Staff Advisory Committee. In her executive secretary position on the committee, Jasek sets the agenda for monthly committee meetings, records minutes, takes attendance, meets regularly with the chair and vice chair, and serves on the Spring Fling and Staff Appeal Board for Traffic Regulations subcommittees. 

Having previously served on the Eudoxia Girard Martin Memorial Staff Recognition Award subcommittee, Jasek is used to honoring others for earning this accolade. She’s witnessed firsthand the glowing recommendation letters that are submitted throughout the award’s nomination process, which makes being selected as this year’s winner even more special.

“I have seen the quality of nominations that have come through,” Jasek says. “And if those are any indication, I am truly honored to be the one selected. It really means a lot that my teammates think enough of me to do that — think enough of me and the work that I do.”