Jenny Young said her job as a senior operations specialist in George Mason University’s Office of the University Registrar basically comes down to this: answering “weird, complex questions” from students, parents and faculty.
But that is selling Young short, colleague Chris Aichler said.
Aichler, the degree audit and award coordinator in the Office of the University Registrar, said that after a recent turnover in personnel that left Young as one of the last remaining operations specialists, she went “above and beyond” while helping to keep the office running as smoothly as possible, including training new staff.
“When many members of the operations team left, Jenny stayed,” Aichler said. “She went from being one of the newest members of the team to one of the most experienced members in a matter of a couple months, and she did it with grace, wit and good humor.”
For her outstanding performance, Young is the August Employee of the Month.
“Jenny is extraordinarily professional and knowledgeable as well as a strong advocate for our students and someone who goes out of her way to assist her colleagues in any way she can,” said Michele Coleman, an operations specialist on the Science and Technology Campus.
Young, who has worked at Mason since January 2018, praised her colleagues, specifically her former supervisor, Andrew Burroughs; senior catalog and curriculum specialist Victoria Sarro; and Laurie Miller, director of the registrar’s information technology.
“I just really want to thank all of them and all of the operations team for thinking of me and for nominating me for this,” Young said. “I don’t want to just thank these three. The whole team was really instrumental in helping me, and I really appreciate that.”
How she got here:
I moved to Fairfax in 2014 after teaching English in Spain after college. Upon learning that Mason had a temp pool, I thought it would be a perfect opportunity to see what Mason was like. Andrew Burroughs plucked me out of temp pool obscurity, and I was hired full-time at the Registrar’s Office after that.
Best day on the job:
Every day is a great day here at the Registrar’s Office. We’re constantly striving to improve the student experience. Any time I can do something to further that goal, whether it’s answering a student’s question or helping a staff member figure out how to help a student, is a great day for me.
What she likes best about working at Mason:
Really, it’s the people who make Mason what it is. We’re currently in uncertain times, and we are constantly reworking and restructuring various processes. So it’s fantastic that under these trying circumstances, there are still people you can reach out to in each department who can assist you and work with you to figure out the best practice to help the students.
What she does when not working:
I have an old cat that all of my coworkers hear about at least three times a week. My idea of a perfect afternoon is just curling up on the couch with him and a good book and a nice cup of tea. I also enjoy watching TV and playing games with my friends, online, these days.