By the time you read this, I will have graduated from St. Thomas with my master’s in English and, with any luck, will be gainfully employed and assembling some sort of life as a responsible grown-up. While I am glad to have had the opportunity to work with such a wonderful group and write about the amazing things our office does, I am really sad to see this job go.
As I trudge off to job interviews in the snow and as the majority of our neighbors in Murray-Herrick move their file cabinets across the quad to the new student center, CILCE begins a new chapter.
Spring 2012 will be filled with new adventures for the CILCE staff, not the least of which is an additional member for our team. Our new administrative assistant, Teresa Sweeney, now fills the desk in Room 159, Murray-Herrick Campus Center, which has been empty since last summer. I spoke with her a little about the office and how she feels about her new digs.
“It’s great!” she said, “I appreciate the wonderful department I’ve landed in.”
We are lucky to have her. Before coming to UST, Teresa wrote and developed training materials in the banking industry. She’s no stranger to the nonprofit world as she also worked at Holy Angels and has been an active volunteer at Annunciation Catholic School, where her children are enrolled.
She explained why she chose UST as her new home, “Several members on both sides of my family went to St. Thomas and St. Kate’s, and our family has always held [the schools] in high regard.” Her background made her a perfect fit.
When I asked her what she likes most about our office, she replied without pause, “You guys!” Well, Teresa, the feeling is mutual. We adore her and appreciate the energy she has brought to our office. It feels like she has always worked here.
In the general chaos that accompanied the end of the semester, we lost a lot of our neighbors here in Murray-Herrick. While it is pretty lonely around here, many of us decided that there are some benefits.
- More room to stretch out.
- Public restrooms that feel like private ones.
- Being forced to get some exercise in order to eat at Scooter’s, thereby fulfilling our New Year’s Resolution to get in shape.
In order to embrace the New Year, I decided to see what the Anderson Student Center is all about. It was a jaw-dropping experience. My only regret is that I won’t be on campus much anymore to enjoy it.
As you enjoy the bounty of the ASC, don’t forget to visit us over here in good old-fashioned Murray-Herrick Campus Center. CILCE is still here in Room 153, MHC. Volunteer programs such as Early College Awareness, Tutor-Mentor and Literacy Connections will continue to be a place for students to become involved. The Community Engagement Network will offer other service opportunities, as well.
We encourage you to check Bulletin Today and stop by the CILCE Center to learn about everything that will be going on.
Our staff hopes you have a fantastic spring semester. Good luck and see you soon!