Oct. 28, 2008 issue
I feel like I have spent my life on this campus and have loved every
minute of it. My grandparents met here during the Depression and I used
to hang out in McKenny because I went to the old Ypsilanti high school
on Cross Street. I became an employee because I was a single parent and
needed a job with benefits and paid time off since my child was only four
years old.
Since I started in 1979, I have had many positions. I started as a clerk
in records and registration, was a benefits specialist, police dispatcher,
department secretary and library assistant. That is one of my favorite
things about Eastern; the ability to move around and acquire different
skills. If a particular position doesn't work out, we have the availability
to move around to find something more suitable, and I love that.
I take advantage of the many campus activities. The professional development
available to employees is continuously being improved. The training I
have received from working at this institution has been greatly appreciated.
The plays, sporting events, concerts and lectures are all things I enjoy
on campus.
There is an increasing trend by the administration
at EMU to ask for input from experienced employees, either
through focus groups, surveys or formal and informal phone calls. Experience
is always valued and that is not true for all work places.
In my position as vice president of UAW Local 1975, I have been pleased
with the good working relationship that has developed as a result of working
with faculty and administrators from all over the campus, as well as the
Human Resources Department.
I have to say, above all, the students are my favorite. They keep my
mind flexible and young. It's hard to get stuck in old
ways when you're working with students. I write to students
across the world that I have met and watched grow and mature.
I have a great love and extreme pride for this institution.
— Contributed by Krystin Jarrell
