RecWell Stories
Grant Carrigan
What was your role(s), and how long were you employed with GVSU Recreation?
I started off as an ID checker in January 2001, at the old-old-old front desk. I worked the desk, Lower Rec, Equipment Checkout, the creepy Weight Room in the basement, Court Monitor, locker room security, all the basics. After 6 months or so I became a Student Building Supervisor and the Group Events Coordinator. I worked in the Climbing Gym here-and-there, picking up shifts, helping with routes for comps, and belaying for group events. I Peter Pan-ed around through undergrad and my Masters, until I literally didn't have enough remaining credits to meet the minimum requirement to be a student employee. I left Neverland in 2006.
What do you remember most about your experience with GVSU Recreation?
Hands-down, the people. Our "class" of staff were a tight-knit bunch; the camaraderie was unbelievable. I hope that things are the same in that regard. It's such a great place for people watching, running into friends or meeting new people, and it has a humanizing effect on faculty and staff members. They look just as goofy in a sweatband as anyone else. And Officer Minh Lien from Campus PD. Please tell me he's still on campus, jogging to Madonna and challenging students to foot races on the upper track?!
What do you do now?
I work for Cushman & Wakefield, as the Facilities Manager at Conagra Brands Headquarters in Chicago.
Did your experience with GVSU Recreation prepare you for your position now?
When people ask what I studied in school to prepare for this career path, I can't help but smile when I tell them the truth- Advertising and Public Relations. Turns out that the corporate communication world wasn't my thing. I figured this out early on, and knowing that I loved the work I did as the Group Event Coordinator at the Rec, I didn't have to do much soul searching to find my new path. The diversity of hands-on experiences and the relationships built working at the Rec were, without a doubt, what got me in the door as the Event Coordinator at Van Andel Arena; my first career position in FM.
What would be your biggest piece of advice to student staff within Recreation?
Immerse yourself in the Recreation lifestyle; not just the job. Embracing the community and your role within it can lead to some pretty great life moments.
Second most important: wear a ridiculous outfit to work whenever you get the excuse; it's not like the photos will ever turn up in the Alumni Spotlight when you're 37. I've heard the probability of that is practically zero. Like, never has happened in the history of cameras, mullet wigs, or chest hair.
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