Amy Lee

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR / CENTER FOR STUDENT INVOLVEMENT

“My favorite thing about this job is the people I work with. I work across so many different areas across the university, from the President’s Office, to student groups, to external groups. I love the variety of people. 

Being able to talk with people satisfies my curiosity. I'm a curious person and I like to learn what they are doing. It’s neat to see the different events, like the Lackner Awards recipients each year…to see that person, what they do, how they are professionally and what their philosophy is…it keeps things fresh and exciting. 

The variety of events makes it fun. There’s an artistry in big events and a creativity in big events that you can have fun with. One of our biggest events is the MLK Breakfast. In the fall we’ll do Culture Fest and put up the big tent with different student acts showing different aspects of culture. It's a very friendly and welcoming kind of event. And I do like the big ballroom events. The formal events are fun- you have the more formal food and artsy stuff. Every day is a different day.

My background is in the restaurant business, you learn to deal with really cranky people. In the days when I started college and I was a server, I had a mentor who said ‘you can provide good service but you’re nobody’s servant.’ Then I got a job in food industry sales. Some people, when you walk in with a cold sale, could be so mean. This one lady was so nice, she talked to me and asked about me and was so positive. I walked away feeling good, even though I didn't make a sale. I sort of struck out, but was like ‘I want to be like that! I don't want to be hateful and mean.’ It’s a win-win if you’re positive. In the time you're having a fit you can resolve the problem. Life’s too short for negative energy. 

I originally was hired in catering with my background in restaurant management. Doors open, that you least expect. My first two years, a woman in the director's office was retiring. They restructured the department and needed an event coordinator. Joe Bell had a vision for how he wanted things to go and encouraged me to apply. I applied and got the job. I learned a lot from him about doing the best that you can and reaching for possibilities. He also had a curiosity of life that we bonded over. Literally we were first getting email so learning that aspect of stuff was intriguing to me because back then it was a new technology. ‘The industry is changing, how is it going to make this better?’. You could tell the business world was changing and new things were happening.

None of us are so rich we can stay home and be people of leisure. We're all here because we have to work, so let’s make it fun. And let’s help each other out. Let's use resources to the best of our ability. I hate waste. I think some of that's from the food service industry. I think you can carry that beyond food.

For example, by the work that I do I see a lot of different events that might not be interconnected.  CultureFest, they approached me to be on the committee. We were talking about what dates we wanted to do, and I realized it was the same time that they would traditionally do the employee picnic, and both groups would rent a tent. I said ‘Hey, why don’t we put these in the same week and share the cost of the tent?’ Because of that we sort of got to know each other so it's a way to meet other people and support each other's events.  

I’m so dorky, everything is fun to me. I also supervise 10 student receptionists. Students keep me young. I feel like by meeting various people, various departments and ages, you get a better idea of the whole picture of life. I like the saying ‘When the student is ready the teacher appears’. That's how I learn from people. I can learn from people younger than me as well as people older than me. We’re all trying to get through life. Let's help each other out.”