#1—What brought you to Emma Willard School?

One could argue I had a foot in the door! My wife, who had already been working at Emma for a few years in the communications department, notified me the day the groundskeeper position opened up. She had already instilled a sense of Jester pride in me just hearing her talk about her day-to-day. I was working, but desperately searching for something that would bring me back to the outdoors; I come from a ski-resort and construction background. After my first formal visit and round of interviews, I knew I wanted to be here. I just started my third year here at Emma, and they’ve been some of the most fulfilling years of my life so far.

 

 

#2—What is a typical day-in-the-life at Emma like for you?

My Stewart’s coffee and commute to work is about as typical as it gets. From there, it’s a real toss-up. Some things are for certain: The grass needs to be mowed. The snow needs to be moved. The leaves need to be collected. Before any of that, I’ll waltz into our shop some time between 7am and 8am, sometimes earlier, especially when we’re battling a snow storm. I’ll spend a little time in the office (yes, we have offices) and check my emails (yes, we get emails). From there, I’ll give whatever machine I’m going to be using for the day a quick walk-around inspection, give it some fuel, fire-up some tunes, then hit the grounds.

Gardening, mowing, pest control, snow-removal, vacuuming leaves, preparing mulch beds, weeding, tree trimming or tree removal, anything and everything related to the outdoor athletic facilities. It’s a lot. The day may also include vehicle and machine maintenance, keeping inventory of parts and tools, going on shopping trips to places like Home Depot, Grasslands Equipment, or the Kubota dealership, (we love those trips!). 

Do you need 200 pumpkins? We got you. Where do all the mums and petunias come from? Don’t worry about it, we got you. Have a rodent problem? We’re on it, but also please put your snacks and food items in a sealed container. It’s very possible to encounter all of the above in one single day.

 

 

#3—What is one thing about working at Emma that would surprise people?

I think the obvious answer here is that there are only three groundskeepers on campus! We are small but mighty. The not-so-obvious answer is that of all the departments here at Emma, I’m convinced facilities have the most fun. I mean, look at us! We get to zip around on funny looking machines all day and make the place look beautiful. You would be hard-pressed to catch any of us with a bad attitude. Don’t let our rugged, dirty facade fool you. We are friendly, generally happy, deep-thinking, real salt-of-the-earth people.

 

 

#4—What were you like in high school?

I was a little bit of everything except an excellent student. While I would categorize myself as an average student, I really enjoyed high school and tried to get the most out of it. I was a tri-sport jock, football captain, a band geek, a theater nerd, a student council and national honor society member. My high school was relatively small with only about 100 students in my class. Many of us grew up together, which really made for a generally pleasant high school experience. It also made it easy to try different things, as it was more than likely that you had friends in any club or sport. 

When I wasn’t doing anything school-related, I was likely playing punk and metal shows at grange halls or Unitarian churches, or playing World of Warcraft. I’m thankful everyday that I’m still very close with many of my friends from high school!