Nyssa Owen, Campus Recreation Facilities Coordinator, nominated Tyler Jenkins for Campus Services Student Spotlight. Here's what Nyssa told us:

Since the fall of 2014, Tyler has been instrumental in the cultivation of a culture of respect, diversity, and service excellence among the Facilities Department within Campus Recreation.  He has risen above his peers in areas such as customer service, event management, problem solving, and peer leadership. 

"I can describe countless examples of times in which Tyler conducts himself with professionalism and poise to deliver extraordinary services to everyone who interacts with Campus Recreation," Nyssa added.

In addition to his regular duties, Tyler volunteered his time to serve for a year as CRC Advisory Board chair.This role tasked him with serving as a liaison between various Campus Recreation stakeholders, voicing their opinions, sharing information and moving new projects forward.

In his current role, Tyler directly assists in hiring, training, managing, and developing a student staff team of 100 of his peers.He expertly navigates both the difficulties of disciplinary conduct meetings and the joys of celebrating staff successes.

This ability combined with his experience, knowledge base, and friendly nature has earned him the respect of his peers, allowing him to intentionally lead our department further into a culture of excellence.

"I cannot speak highly enough about Tyler’s value within this department and Campus Recreation as a whole," Nyssa said. 

"He is a world class leader that has had a direct impact on our campus and will certainly leave a lasting legacy within Campus Recreation and Campus Services."

We asked Tyler to tell us a bit more about himself and here's what he told us:

Position at Campus Services Department

• Facility Manager at CRC

Major

• Mechanical Engineering, Minor—Industrial Design

Year in School

• 4th Year

Hometown

• Newnan, GA

How long have you worked in this position?

• I started at the CRC in the Fall 2014 semester. I was promoted to Building Supervisor Spring 2015 and then to Facility Manager Fall 2016.

What are your duties in this position?

• As Facility Manager, I help the Facility Coordinator, Nyssa Owen, and my co-manager, Scott Higgins, lead the 100 student staff members of Facilities at the CRC. I also conduct hiring, training, and staff meetings as well as host CPR and First Aid training courses. Lastly, I take on projects to improve our department in order to provide the best services possible to all CRC patrons.

What do you like best about working in this position?

• The best part of working in the Facilities family at the CRC has been the family itself. I have met most of my closest friends here, and they have helped me grow both professionally and personally. The community amongst the staff alone makes this job worth it!

How has this position helped you?

• Being a manager has pushed me out of my comfort zone numerous times, such as holding disciplinary meetings with staff members. It has also taught me the logistics of a professional environment working with full-time staff, which has directly translated to my internships over the past few summers.

What have you learned through working here?

• I think one of the most useful skills I have learned in this position is the ability to articulate my experiences in such a way that they can help me progress into the real world after school (i.e. I can now build a powerful resume and present it effectively). This job has given me the necessary tools to succeed in my career.

Favorite Book?

• A Song of Ice and Fire: A Storm of Swords—George R. R. Martin

Favorite Restaurant/Food?

• Thai food is probably my favorite food. I’m always down for something spicy! Thai Heaven (down by the airport) is one of my favorite spots in Atlanta.

Favorite Spot on Campus?

• Though I don’t spend much time there, I always enjoy the CULC rooftop. It’s just a great view of campus, and a nice place to kill time on an afternoon.

Favorite Quotes?

• There’s only one thing I hate more than lying: skim milk. Which is water that’s just lying about being milk. –Ron Swanson

What do you like to do on the weekends?

• I try to get off campus on the weekends and go somewhere with friends. I go to all the football games, and I try to get out to a lot of basketball games too.

Who is your favorite professor and why?

• Dr. Cowan in Mechanical Engineering is probably my favorite. I’m currently in my second class with him. He truly cares about his students and is very approachable. He’s also a good teacher, so that helps!

What is your favorite class and why?

• One of my favorite classes so far has been Dr. Cressler’s Science and Religion course. I was part of his inaugural class Spring 2016, and it was a very unique and rewarding experience that really opened my eyes and helped me develop my personal worldview.

Tell us about some organizations you’re involved with on campus.

• Obviously, I am heavily involved at the CRC and devote a lot of my time to it. I am also part of the KNIT Mentorship program as a mentor to two freshman students.

What advice do you have for incoming students?

• No dream is too big. I have always been obsessed with yachts since I was little and always said I wanted to be a yacht designer. Although Tech doesn’t have a program for Naval Architecture, I have secured two internships in the field, and now I’m on my way to my dream job. Just don’t ever give up on your passions!

What would people be surprised to know about you?

• I built my own 3D printer. That  usually throws people off.
• One more surprising fact: I graduated high school in a class of 8 people!

Favorite TV show?

• Parks and Recreation! New Girl is a close second.

What will you miss most about Tech after graduation?

• Of course I will miss the awesome community here at Tech, but I think I’ll miss the CRC quite a bit. It’s definitely spoiled me; it’s going to be hard to find a gym that will stack up to the CRC.

What are your plans after graduation?

• I plan to go work as a Naval Architect and/or Designer for a yacht design firm somewhere.

Is there anything else we should know about you?

• Major Hobbies: Riding my motorcycle, literally anything boat/water-related, basketball, hiking, camping, and most other outdoor activities.