What area do you work in within the VPFA portfolio?
Campus Services - Vivian Olum Child Development Center

What is your current position, and what are your job responsibilities?
I have been at Olum for almost 16 years and am currently the Enrollment and Operations Coordinator. My responsibilities primarily include facilitating the waitlist and enrollment process for new families, and center operations such as tuition billing, payments, center purchasing, payroll, special projects, and office coordination. I also support the rest of the administrative team wherever I can. In a childcare center, this can be anything, and that’s what makes each day unique and exciting.

What has been your career path; how did you end up in your current position?
I graduated from UO’s Lundquist College of Business with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and a minor in economics. I was the Director of a local Wild Oats Natural Foods Market for 10 years prior to joining the center. The company closed the Eugene locations around the same time my husband graduated from the UO School of Law. When I saw the position available at Olum, I thought it was a great opportunity for a career change that would provide a better work-life balance. I also appreciate the benefits and security provided by working in a union position; I now serve as a union steward here on campus. 

What do you like about your current position?
My favorite part of my job is the impact I can have on UO families. My children attended UO childcare centers while my husband and I were students, and this resource allowed us to accomplish our academic and professional goals. I love the ability to give back and help families navigate finding childcare, which can be an emotional and stressful experience, particularly for families with young children. Because I coordinate the waitlist and enrollment process, I have meaningful conversations and get to know families before even meeting them in person and often before they have moved to the area. I have the special opportunity to be in contact with new faculty and staff members from different cities, states, and countries. My hope is that I can create a positive experience about the UO from the beginning.  

I’m proud to be part of the team we have at Olum and the important service we offer the UO community. UO families can focus on their personal goals and the primary goal of the university, supporting university students, knowing their children are thriving in the center’s care. We have a highly dedicated staff, and their passion for early childhood development fuels my desire to support the program in any way possible. I also appreciate the autonomy and ownership I have over my work. I feel valued and respected for my experience and what I bring to the table.

Please share some insight into what your job involves.

Although my job involves business functions common in many workplaces, working at a childcare center is a unique environment, especially on a college campus. Childcare is truly a hands-on job regardless of position. The safety and needs of the children are always a top priority. This creates a variety of duties that might include: serving as a bus driver, wiping runny noses, bandaging cuts and giving hugs, providing an extra set of hands to parents when their child had a really productive day of creating masterpieces of art and they can’t carry everything to their car, and occasionally plunging an overflowing toilet, to name just a few. 

Another special part of my job is that I’m able to build relationships with the children at our center by spending time in classrooms, which provides great stress relief from my normal job duties. Having a class of 3-year-olds greet you with an enthusiastic “hello” is a boost to any day! 

Share a little about yourself personally:
I was born and raised in San Diego and moved to Eugene to attend the UO. I fell in love with Eugene and the relaxed way of living. I like doing very quintessential Oregon things –gardening, hiking, going to the river, and visiting the coast. I’ve been married to my husband for 25 years, have three grown children (one currently attending the UO!), and an adorable dog named Corn. I am also a huge Ducks fan and proud to be a “Double Duck”.
 

(June 2021)