Stephen is the Coordinator for Students Organizations and Activities on Western’s campus. Besides being the advisor for the Student Activities Board, he is in charge of officer training for the clubs around campus, helps students reserve rooms and equipment for programs they plan, reaches out to other organizations to make more connections, and will just sit down and talk with someone if they need anything. Every week, Stephen has a schedule full of planning, advising, and supporting individuals around campus. Some of these require staying after normal working hours or coming in to work on the weekends, both of which he does without hesitation. Stephen is the kind of person that will go out of his way to check in on someone he knows is going through a hard time, or whom he has not chatted with in awhile, because he truly cares about those he works with and wants to make a difference in their lives.

In May specifically, a lot of students find that they have lost track of time and have a program they have been planning, or just thinking about putting on, for which they have forgotten to reserve rooms and equipment. Since May is the last full month of the term, a lot of organizations find they have fallen into this trend. They come to Stephen, hoping that he can help, knowing that it might be too late to reserve what they want for when they want it. Being the caring person that he is, he always does his best to help the students.

This May, Stephen helped students finalize plans for several large- scale programs which involved many approvals and notifications. He also helped students with smaller-scale programs, even up to the day before the programs were scheduled to take place. Although Stephen encourages students to plan more in advance, he understands when problems arise or last-minute changes or reservations come his way.

When running into Stephen around campus, he always shares a smile and some kind words. Even when he is busy, he will either take time to help someone who needs him right then or schedule a time during which he can fully devote his attention to them. Talking to Stephen, individuals feel mattered and important. They feel that their goals are possible, and that they have turned to the right person for advice.

With last-minute programming or last-minute changes of plans with them, studying for finals, packing and preparing for summer and all that entails, and, in some cases, getting ready for graduation, students at Western tend to become stressed during the month of May. Stephen is a strong support for these students, as well as those that handle the stressful situations without batting an eye. Without fail, Stephen does everything in his power to help students, beyond just the requirements that his position entails.

Word Count: 594