Meet one of our outstanding student library assistants

Meet Natalie Cruz, one of our outstanding student library assistants. Natalie stands out this summer more than usual because she has taken on unique responsibilities. Actually, beginning in April of this year, she and two other star student workers, Cash Kent and Heather Hicks, were asked to fill in for Nicole “Nicky” McDermott when she went on maternity leave. All three of them essentially divided up and took on the responsibilities of Public Services Assistant, performing various routine tasks that would otherwise have fallen between the cracks. After the semester ended Heather graduated, Cash went home to Colorado, and Natalie stayed on for the summer.

Beyond the day-to-day routine responsibilities of supervising four student assistants and keeping things afloat, it is falling on Natalie's shoulders to learn the new integrated library system along with the rest of the full-time staff. When Nicky returns from maternity leave in mid-June, Natalie will be teaching the new circulation system to her boss! Then, together for the rest of the summer, they will be preparing to train all of the new and returning student library assistants on the new system this fall.

As a Business and Management major approaching her senior year at Hope, Natalie also had to find time to fit an internship into her schedule. Thankfully, she was approved to have this position qualify for her MGT4800 Management Internship. At the end of the internship she will write a reflection paper and her own evaluation of the experience and Nicky will also submit an evaluation of her performance.

This fall, wouldn't you like to be a fly on the wall if anyone dares asks Natalie what she did on her summer vacation?