Greeting Grads
Lisa Winters talks about volunteering at the three-day GradFest event for graduating seniors.
When the Alumni Association put out the call for volunteers to work its booth at Gradfest, Lisa Winters was among the first to sign up. As assistant director of payroll compensation and benefits in the campus human resources office, she enjoys working with the students on the staff and welcomes opportunities to meet others.
Energy and excitement
"This event is the best because they're all so excited,” she said during a brief lull in the Gradfest bustle. “They're graduating and looking toward the future and it's just fun to talk to them and see how much energy and excitement they have for what's going to happen. It's so positive."
Winters had plenty of students to talk to as more than 10,000 degree candidates filed through the three-day Gradfest lines to order graduation announcements, class rings, caps, gowns and other commencement necessities. Her job as they passed the Alumni Association booth was to extol the advantages of becoming a lifetime member of the organization.
“I’ve been explaining the benefits to them,” she said, “and telling the students this is an awesome opportunity.”
Volunteering her time
Although this was her first time to work Gradfest, Winters also recently volunteered at the Poinsettia Bowl in December and at Stephen Strasburg’s inaugural 5K Walk and Fun Run on campus in January.
Why the new-found interest in volunteering?
"I have time now,” the mother of five, including two SDSU alumni, explained. “I didn't have time before when my kids were younger and I've always wanted to give back, so this has been really fun.”
So much fun, in fact, that Winters encourages others to give volunteering a try at campus events.
“I think everybody should do it,” she said. “It's not a huge commitment — you come and do it because you want to and the people are all so great.”
No better job
There’s also the fact that campus volunteering is an extension of a position Winters thoroughly enjoys at SDSU.
“I love this environment,” she said. “I could not have a better job than working here.”
