Standing at the heart of campus, The University of Alabama Student Center has continuously hosted offices, student organizations, clubs, restaurants, fairs and more since it was first erected in 1973. Today, it houses 12 Student Life offices as well as provides space for other campus partners and organizations and continues to be the premier location on campus for students and community members to gather. Most students at UA are familiar with the Student Center, but probably not as familiar with it as UA senior Emma Grace Trammel. Emma Grace joined the UA family after graduating high school in Madison, Mississippi, and she diligently serves the entire campus community as a student employee in the Student Center to ensure smooth and secure operations year-round.
When she’s not working towards her majors in international studies and Spanish, you can probably find Emma Grace working mornings in the Student Center. Emma Grace started working at the Student Center as a conference coordinator in 2021, during her sophomore year. This role largely involved event planning, coordination of event space and communication with clients. This experience allowed her to become more familiar with the behind-the-scenes work in one of UA’s most popular buildings, as well as provided the building blocks of her professional development. She returned to the Student Center the following semester and was promoted to building manager. Through this new position, Emma Grace became even more involved with the Student Center’s daily operations while gaining more and more professional growth.
Building managers are the chief student officers of the Student Center’s day-to-day management and operations. For Emma Grace’s morning shifts, this means she is the first person to arrive. It’s up to her to unlock the doors, to inform the desk assistants of the day’s events, to confirm bookings of building tours and more. She shared what a typical day looks like.
“As a building manager, our main responsibility is making sure everything goes smoothly. For events, admissions tours, dining and everything else, we’re making sure that the Student Center is ready for anyone who wants to use the building in any capacity. In my day-to-day activities I typically open the building in the morning, get everything set up for the day and answer questions at the information desk to help people navigate the building,” she said.
These responsibilities have granted her opportunities to grow and develop as a professional. As a building manager, she’s in a unique position that interacts with almost every avenue of campus. Her assistance reaches students, faculty and staff, prospective students and families, external partners and more. Emma Grace noted how the intersection of these separate constituents helps her grow in her role by adapting to every possible scenario.
“I deal with faculty, staff and more from all around campus. I have to be professional, be respectful, listen to what they say and do what they ask in a timely manner. Communicating with people all around campus has really increased my professional skills,” she said.
Of course, Emma Grace and the other building managers are still human and need assistance and guidance from time to time. Whenever help is needed, the professional Student Life staff members who supervise student staff are always there to provide whatever assistance they can. It doesn’t matter if a student needs help with a work event or just needs to process a challenge in their personal life, the professional staff are always available to provide a helping hand.
“If I need them [professional staff] for anything, their door is always open for us. They invest in each employee because they always emphasize focusing on school and our health above our jobs, and I really appreciate that. Their door is always open for us if we need something or if we’re having an issue. They’re definitely there for all the employees.”
Emma Grace’s experience in the Student Center has been an invaluable part of her time in college. The experience and skills she’s gained on campus will help her stand out among other competitors in the post-college job market, while also showing employers that she is competent, knowledgeable and capable of completing any task thrown her way. But most importantly, her work enhanced her student experience, and she enjoyed it!
“I really like working at the Student Center because I feel like there’s never a dull moment. It keeps me on my toes. I get to interact with all types of different people, which I really appreciate. It’s helped my experience at the University to be fun and rewarding. It’s helped me greatly by developing who I am as a person. I’m surrounded by people who will push me to be the best version of myself.”