April 20, 2015
Kyle Hooker named K-State Student Employee of the Year
In the awards' s inaugural year, Kyle Hooker, assistant manager of the K-State Horse Unit, was named K-State Student Employee of the Year. Kyle is a senior in animal sciences and industry from Benton.
"During the 10-month period when the Horse Unit did not have a permanent manager, Kyle stepped up from an undergraduate student employee position to take on the title of assistant manager, which in reality was a full-time manager position on top of being a full-time student," said Kallie Emig, Horse Unit manager. "Kyle assisted our graduate student in managing the breeding season, which included the daily collection of stallions and breeding of mares on top of impressive clientele work. He contacted stallion and mare owners and worked out new breeding contracts for the year. Kyle also has taken great pride in starting colts through the K-State program and has gone above and beyond the required and expected training that the student employees give their colts. Kyle has continually hauled his K-State colts to outside ropings on his own time and money in order to give the colts more experience and training in the roping pen, as well as give them more exposure to outside clients, which increases the value and selling ability of the colts. Kyle has always been heavily involved with all activities of the Horse Unit and is eager to come to work and prove he cares about his work and the success of the Horse Unit."
Hooker was honored as Student Employee of the Year due to his exceptional reliability, quality of work, initiative, professionalism and adherence to the principles of the Wildcat Way.
Watch this video for more information about this outstanding student employee of the year.