The other night while writing, I told you we all had our own story before winding up at Ivy Tech. I am no different. Summer 1996, I was waiting tables over at Western Sizzling. I was making $2.13 an hour plus tips. I didn't really want to do that for the rest of my life. I knew there had to be something better.
Thought a series of events I found myself at Ivy Tech taking the placement assessment. Within a few weeks I was taking a full load (12 credit hours for the summer, are you kidding me) and still working waiting tables. One day while talking with the financial aid director the subject of workstudy came up. Wow, pay me to work at the college while taking classes and still wait tables, I could do that. It paid minimum wage, but hey,it was so much easier than waiting tables.
I began working at the library. My supervisor was Sarah. It wasn't long until Susan became the new librarian and my life began changing yet again. Susan taught me so much about the library and my classes seemed to be fairly easy, I was in a good spot. So good that I was inducted into Phi Theta Kappa, an international honor society of two year colleges. The induction was amazing and my parents were bursting with pride before, during, and after induction. They are still very proud of me.
While working for Susan, I also worked on the weekends waiting tables. I did a little community service by talking to student groups at Owen Valley High School about how easy it is to get involves with drugs and things they could do to prevent getting in a situation where they could be pressured into taking them. It must of caught someone's attention because in April 1998, I received an award from the Indiana Conference of Higher Education for outstanding dedication and commitment to community service. I am going to take the plaque to my new office at the main building at Ivy Tech. As a first generation, adult learner, I wasn't doing too bad.
Susan began telling me I needed to apply for jobs on campus. Right, a college is going to hire someone without a degree, I highly doubt that. Susan explained that even if I didn't get hired, it would give me some experience interviewing. With nothing to lose, I began updating my resume and making it a working resume rather than chronological. That's a whole different story that will be explained in a book by BethE that will be coming out next year. Currently the plan is it will be titled "From Family and Friends to the Feds". Susan helped me polish my resume and I was very careful about the positions I applied for. Susan was right. In January,1998, I began working as a records clerk in the Office of the Registrar. I was in the library working and the Director of HR ay the time was J. Heizen. He, Diana Jacobs, and Pat Stockram came to the library to offer me the position. Of course I accepted and for about five months I kept waiting tables too.
I don't think it was very long after I was hired when Pat needed to move. Now there was an opening for a new college Registrar. I don't know all of the candidates, but I do know who was hired, that was Jennie Vaughan. Jennie was my new supervisor. My life has never been the same since.
Enough for tonight. I'm still thinking about all of the people I know who have worked themselves to death, those that are ill, and those that are no longer with us. Life is short, really short. We only get one go around, we need to be the best person we can be. I keep saying we need to educate and take care of our children because they will be the adults taking care of us and this world when we are no longer able. Let's do it right.
More in a few days. Take care my friends.
