UW-La Crosse Student Employee of the Year
Emily O’Connor
When I first applied for a job at University Centers as a freshman, I did not know what I was getting myself into. I expected to find a job similar to the ones that I have had in the past: I go in, do my work, and leave, nothing special, nothing extraordinary. However, working for University Event Support has been anything but that. After just a short time with Event Support, I have grown in ways that I never thought possible, learned things that I never thought I would, and met countless extraordinary people. Coming to college, I was fairly shy and reserved. I often kept to myself and was definitely not one to take charge, especially in new situations. Working with Event Support has changed this drastically. Each event that I work brings new challenges to face and problems to overcome. I’ve learned to communicate more effectively to those in charge, to customers, and to my coworkers.
Improving my public speaking and communication skills is invaluable both during college and life after college, and I can honestly say I would not be at the point that I am if it had not been for working with Event Support. One of my favorite things about working with Event Support is the amount of things that I get to learn each and every time that I come to work. Whether the event set-up is for a five-piece band or a single speaker with a PowerPoint, there is something that I learn with every event. My favorite thing about learning all of this knowledge, however, is the ability to share it with my coworkers. After I learn something new, it doesn’t help many people if I am the only person that knows it. By sharing what I know with the people that I work with, they then share what they know with me, ultimately creating a stronger staff team and better overall work on events. It is the people that make this job truly one-of-a-kind and I am honored to be a part of such an amazing aspect of the UW-L campus.