Laurel McGerty

I'm working at the University of Chicago in a role that is standard at other institutions but is totally new here. Not even being a full year out of grad school, I've put in a lot of intentionality and groundwork at gaining the trust of people who have been here and working in a system long before I came along, getting that buy-in from resident heads, from students, from resident assistants. I've established myself as somebody who is reliable, who's going to handle things, who's going to take complaints or concerns seriously, but also celebrate things that are amazing, whether it's related to the job or not. I feel very proud of the community that I have built alongside all of my staff in my building, and it has been rewarding to have people from all over be like, thinking about what you've done this year, Laurel, you really demonstrate the need for this role. While I feel like there are still so many things that I want to do and so many things that I can improve upon, it is nice to hear that people see and appreciate the work and are naming that.