Profile —
A look into the life of a Residential Life employee

by Ty Scheets, posted Oct. 14, 2009

The sound of a 6 a.m. alarm clock is silenced as a woman gets out of bed and begins a morning routine that she could practically execute in her sleep. She puts on her uniform and promptly heads out the door. Having worked on the fourth and fifth floors of Gillette Hall for the past seven years, she has experienced dorm life longer than most ever will. The woman is Donnette Patterson.

Patterson checks into the building by 7:30 a.m. and starts on the day’s work.

“What I do first usually change from day to day,” said Patterson, as she wiped the bathroom mirrors.  “You would think vacuuming, cleaning the sinks, toilets, and showers on both floors plus the hallway windows for seven years would have driven me crazy, and that’s probably about right!”

Regardless of what she happens to be doing that day, few students escape without a hello when she is working.

“She stopped me in the hall today and we talked for a good 20 minutes,” said Justin Whitfield, a Gillette resident.  “She’s always cheery, despite the work she’s doing.”

Many students share positive experiences with Patterson. Stephanie Marcellio, who also lives in Gillette, recalls a time when she slipped on the bathroom floor, fell on her back, and the bag of cereal she was carrying went all over the floor.

“When Donnette turned around and saw me sprawled out on the floor she wasn’t mad about the floor, just asked if I was going to be okay,” Marcellio said. “It was embarrassing, but she was nice about everything.”

When considering the pros and cons of the job, she was quick to say that Christmas break was a benefit. She went on to say that over the years students have given her several Christmas gifts.

“One year a young man gave me an iPod,” said Patterson. “He had just got a new one for Christmas, so he offered me his old one.”

Working here for seven years, five days a week, she said she has dealt with “girls crying in the bathrooms and guys arguing in the hallway.” But for every negative occurrence, there is a positive side.

“Seeing them (students) so often you develop a friendship with each of them,” Patterson said.

According to the Residential Life department, an average of 200 people work in the residential halls.

With so many employees working in close proximity to students, there are opportunities to learn more about the people who keep the residence halls running smoothly, and to thank them for the work that they do.

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