Elizabeth McConnell, a Facility Manager with the Campus Recreation Center, is an exceptional student employee and Campus Services is recognizing her for her work!

“I would love to nominate my student employee, Elizabeth McConnell, for the Student Spotlight,” said Katelyn Voorhees, Facilities Coordinator, Campus Recreation.

“Elizabeth is an extraordinary student employee for multiple reasons.”

Working in the Campus Recreation Center can be challenging. Katelyn told us about Elizabeth.

“During my transition into my position in July, Elizabeth was an asset with my onboarding process, managing a 40-hour-a-week internship with GreenSky and working with Campus Recreation as a Facility Manager,” Katelyn said.

“In her role as a Facility Manager with the CRC, Elizabeth serves in one of the top student employee positions. Her role consists of assisting with the supervision of 100 Building Supervisors and Facility Assistants through hiring, training, evaluations, discipline meetings, biweekly staff meetings and more!

“In addition, she has been instrumental in transitioning our open recreation equipment process and managing all medical supply and equipment inventory utilized by the Facilities staff. Her commitment to her position, fellow student employees, and department makes her a standout student employee. 

“In addition to her position with the CRC, Elizabeth has exceled at Georgia Tech while majoring in Computer Science and serving this past year as the President of the Georgia Tech All Majors Career Fair that occurred Fall Semester.

“Elizabeth has not only been a vital asset to my staff and me, but to the CRC, Campus Services, and Georgia Tech as a whole. We are grateful for her contributions and know she will continue to represent Campus Services and Georgia Tech well,” Katelyn added.

We wanted to more about this remarkable student and so we asked Elizabeth to tell us about herself. Here is what she said.

• Position at Campus Services Department – Facility Manager at the CRC
• Major – Computer Science
• Year in School – Fifth Year
• Hometown -  Marietta, GA
• How long have you worked in this position? – I started working in the CRC April 2016 as a Facility Assistant. I was promoted to Building Supervisor in April of 2017 and to Facility Manager in April 2018.
• What are your duties in this position? – My duties consist mainly of helping our Facility Coordinator, Katelyn, with hiring, training, and developing our student employees. This includes leading biweekly meetings, processing paperwork, and developing my own projects to improve the CRC!
• What do you like best about working in this position? – I love being able to work with my friends and the professional staff at the CRC. I’ve made so many friends and have gotten so many opportunities I’d never expect from an on-campus job.
• How has this position helped you? – The Facility Manager position taught me a lot about managing different types of people. Everyone has a different way of learning, communication style, and strengths; this position has taught me how to effectively lead the 100-plus other students in our department.
• What have you learned through working here? – My biggest takeaway from working at the CRC is learning how to take my experiences here and turn them into transferrable skills for my career after I graduate. Working at the CRC has taught me how to make tough decisions on my own, think on my feet, and to be a self-motivated, detail-oriented individual. These are skills I never would have learned in a classroom but will help me immensely in the professional world.
• Favorite Book? – I enjoy Margaret Atwood’s novels! They’re all great.
• Favorite Restaurant/Food? – I love cheeseburgers. The Canteen in Tech Square has a Fred’s Meat and Bread stall. Their burgers are amazing and it’s such a short walk from campus.
• Favorite Spot on Campus? – I really like the Klaus Courtyard. I feel like it is such a comforting area to sit and enjoy nature with a cup of coffee.
• Favorite Quotes? – "The way I see it, every life is a pile of good things and bad things. The good things don’t always soften the bad things, but vice versa, the bad things don’t always spoil the good things and make them unimportant." – Dr. Who
• What do you like to do on the weekends? – I like to spend time with my friends exploring Atlanta and trying new restaurants!
• Who is your favorite professor and why? – Dana Randall. I have her for Algorithms this semester and I’ve never had a professor who has such a strong desire for her students to learn. She makes an effort to know our names and genuinely wants us to be successful. I wish I was able to have more classes with her before I graduate.
• What is your favorite class and why? – One of my favorite classes was Mobile and Ubiquitous Computing with Thomas Ploetz. I learned a lot about different aspects and applications of computing and had the ability to listen to some cool professors come in and talk about their research and the field of Ubicomp.
• Tell us about some organizations you’re involved with on campus. – Right now, I spend most of my time at the CRC. But during my time at Tech, I was heavily involved in my sorority and a committee within C2D2 which plans the All Majors Career Fair each Fall.
• What advice do you have for incoming students? – Never be afraid to ask for help. Everyone at this school is in it together and everyone is willing to help each other out.
• What would people be surprised to know about you? – Art History was my favorite subject in high school and is something I’m still passionate about.   
• Favorite TV show? – Either Lost or Dr. Who.
• What will you miss most about Tech after graduation? – I’ll miss being surrounded by driven and inspiring people. Whether it's people I met though the CRC, my classes, or my sorority, everyone is so passionate about something and I’ll miss being in an environment with so many people who are chasing their dreams.
• What are your plans after graduation? – I will be working as an Apprentice Security Engineer at GreenSky.
• Is there anything else we should know about you? – I love to cook.

Thank you, Elizabeth, for all you've done for the CRC, Campus Servcies and Georgia Tech. Good luck with your future endeavors.