Espresso Shot 24 with Crystal Riles

00;00;01;05 - 00;00;33;12
Unknown
Welcome. Welcome to Esspresso Shots. Our special guest is Crystal Rales, who is the director of community and culture at the Bush School of Government and Public Service. She earned her B.A. in English from Texas A&M University, followed by her M.S. innonprofit management from Our Lady of the Lake University. Crystal's current responsibilities span advising college unit and student leadership on all issues related to building and sustaining a collaborative learning community and inclusion work culture.

00;00;33;21 - 00;01;07;20
Unknown
Dr. Ashley always tells me to breathe. I saw that. And break right Whats wrong with your face. Portfolio includes support for international first gen, military veteran and historically marginalized student populations. Her umbrella also encompasses diversity, equity and inclusion issues and solutions surrounding faculty, staff and students. Crystal also brings dedication experience to public service. Having served as a volunteer for Girl Scouts of Southwest Texas, Ronald McDonald House.

00;01;07;21 - 00;01;37;14
Unknown
Hands on Atlanta. Atlanta Community Foodbank and Texas Association for College Admissions Counseling. She is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration with a research focus on sense of belonging, identity, African-American, Hispanic women and the barriers they experience navigating higher education. Crystal aspires to join the professoriate. Professoriate in her future while continuing to climb the ladder of higher education administration.

00;01;37;23 - 00;02;04;26
Unknown
Welcome. Thank you. Absolutely. Clearly, I read it, but I didn't read it all the way through. That word gets everyone, even students. Well, usually I Google and have the little like, you know where it tells you how to pronounce it. Great for you. Great. Here. Awesome. Welcome. Thank you. I'm happy to be here. Okay. So as I was previously told, your position is brand new.

00;02;05;02 - 00;02;44;17
Unknown
Brand new? So what exactly is it? Yes. So as the director of community and culture, my task is to support faculty, staff and students to ensure that they know the resources that are available to them, but also that they know how to utilize them to be their best selves in the role that they're playing at the Bush school. Yes, I know that's very widespread and that means something different to everyone, but I think that's the beauty of the work that I do, because it gives me the opportunity to really get out and speak to the people within these populations, to understand them not just as populations, but individuals.

00;02;44;29 - 00;03;11;25
Unknown
And from that, you go, Hey, what are we doing? That's great that we should continue doing. What are we lacking that needs to change here to make it a better environment for you? So it's exciting work for me. How did you get into that? Yeah. So I within my background, I came from recruitment in admissions, but I really focused in part on targeted recruitment.

00;03;12;09 - 00;03;42;02
Unknown
So I started in our Houston office with Texas A&M recruiting, focusing my efforts to work with marginalized populations. So within that space, African-American, Hispanic students, starting with that work, really gave me the chance to work with the students from these populations and understand the barriers that are existing for them, that don't exist for other students. So why are these students being caught in this process?

00;03;42;02 - 00;04;11;14
Unknown
They're getting to step one, but not to the end of the funnel. Why? These students are equally qualifying to get into A&M, but there's something that's happening. So really taking the time to research why that was happening with them. That's really where it all started for me. And so taking the time to kind of do research, learn more, talk to professionals, that that was their focus in their field, helped me to kind of craft those skills.

00;04;12;04 - 00;04;38;16
Unknown
And then I moved to Atlanta as the first out-of-state recruiter for Texas A&M. So with that, that kind of broadened those opportunities for me because it's an uncharted territory. I traveled all of the East Coast to kind of recruit students and expand our brand because we'd never done that before. And so with that, that really opened up my network to meet others that were doing the same type of work.

00;04;39;08 - 00;05;02;19
Unknown
But in that role is when I really got involved with SACAC, which is the Southern Association for College Admissions Counseling and a few colleagues I had worked with in the past and Texas had reached out, said, Hey, you know, we've got some connections in SACAC and they're looking for someone to really focus on diversity, work and development around inclusion.

00;05;02;19 - 00;05;23;18
Unknown
And we thought of you. And so that gave me the opportunity to do more research, learn more, to be able to turn around and train other people, new professionals, coming into admissions to help them with these skills, to be able to assist any student that's coming their way. So that's kind of where it all started. And you seem to be like kicking open doors everywhere you go.

00;05;23;20 - 00;05;47;27
Unknown
I try, yeah, because I think it doesn't always happen for everyone. So I'm very grateful for it. I found my passion early in my career. I never thought that I would work in higher education. That was not my initial plan. I had all the plans of going into grant writing. That's where the English degree came from. Yeah, exactly.

00;05;48;00 - 00;06;09;26
Unknown
Was like what? Yes, I knew that one. I could write really well. So it's like, okay, maximizing the talents that you have. But I knew that I wanted to help people. So I said, How can I do that with my skills? And so my mother has a background in nonprofit. And so during the summer, I interned with their grant writer and I was like, Okay, I think this is it.

00;06;09;27 - 00;06;34;05
Unknown
It gives me the field skills, right? Let's try it. But my first job right out of college was advising in a high school and that was the aha moment of I'm exactly where I need to be doing what I'm doing because I'm helping people. That's what I wanted to do from the beginning, but I'm helping them in a different way than I thought.

00;06;34;20 - 00;06;57;11
Unknown
And I think working in high schools, I acknowledge the different hats that you have to put on outside of just what your title says. It was challenging, but I wouldn't have changed anything about that experience because it set the tone for my career and really made it clear for me of where I needed to be. So I feel like there's a book in your future.

00;06;57;26 - 00;07;22;22
Unknown
Maybe we'll see. I'm working. I'm working right now through my Ph.D. with my faculty advisor to hopefully get something published by the end of the summer. So we'll see. Nice. I think it would be awesome, but I would have to do an audio book and you would have to also read it because I think it's like the different is it feel to interview.

00;07;22;28 - 00;07;40;15
Unknown
I get that. I like it. I feel like she's still writing that way. Have you read her emails, you can still feel the energy coming through her. You've only got to email her Well you met her in person. I just get to read the CC Yeah, because I was like, Oh, who's this? Yeah, we can absolutely email each other. I was like Matt,

00;07;40;16 - 00;08;03;21
Unknown
Who is this wonderful person with you with the gorgeous nails. But that was my first person with the nails. Like that person, there's a baby right there. Yes. That's basically what happened. So you haven't worked here very long? Correct. I started February 16. I was going to say, It's been a couple of months. Yeah. And you just hit the ground running?

00;08;03;27 - 00;08;42;00
Unknown
I did. I feel I feel like the DE&I is like a hot button. Like people are very like, how is that having to have navigate it? Yeah, that's a great question. So it is an interesting time right now. That's the best way to put it around DEI work. I'll put that in your quotations just because at this point, I feel people are weaponizing those words and taking away from the actual work that is being done and that needs to be done.

00;08;42;08 - 00;09;16;23
Unknown
So to me, my focus is not on those words. I'm focused on how are we helping people? Because that's the point of all of this work. But it has its challenges because people have very firm feelings on either side of of what professionals like myself are doing around DEI. Some people don't understand and the importance behind it. So it is a challenging time, but I feel supported in the work that I'm doing.

00;09;17;02 - 00;09;43;11
Unknown
I'm super grateful for the leadership that we have, at the Bush School, because that kind of gives me that bit of encouragement, I think, and it gives me solace to know that they support the work that I'm doing for the greater good of the Bush School, So yeah. Do you find that in the college, since it is, this might be a wrong assessment, but it seems to be very politically driven.

00;09;43;11 - 00;10;06;05
Unknown
Obviously all their going into public service, a lot of that is government type jobs. You find that the climate when it comes to DEI within the college right now is very like vastly different from other places that you've been to. I wouldn't say that it is. I know the bush school is unique given the programs that are here and kind of the career path that students are on going into.

00;10;06;18 - 00;10;33;26
Unknown
But I take that as one step further as to why it's so important that we're focused on the work here because of what they're trying to do within all of these roles, thinking about public service, government policy, you're going to meet all types of people and you have to be able to navigate those spaces as eloquently and carefully because your job depends on it, essentially.

00;10;34;04 - 00;11;00;14
Unknown
And so I don't I haven't seen anything at the Bush School in comparison to other places that I've been. That is concerning in the sense of, man, we're really far off. No, if anything in my assessment, I found that the Bush schools are really good space because the majority of the population here understands why this work is important and they're ready to make movement forward.

00;11;00;16 - 00;11;37;10
Unknown
They're ready to put their feet in the ground and start working. So that's that's a positive for sure that I've seen at the bush school. So, no, I don't think anything stands out as, oh, my goodness, it's tougher here because of the climate and what they're doing at the Bush school. Not at all. That's good. Yeah, I was just curious because it is always has seemed over the last three or four years, because the more I learn about the bush school, since we've started these espresso shots and everything like that, and the more involvement we get in with what's going on, I find it interesting that it is so difficult for some considering the field

00;11;37;10 - 00;11;56;27
Unknown
they're going to go into. They are going to be dealing with a wide variety of people they're interacting with or whatever the case may be. And so I don't know. I mean, not to say that I'm not closed minded on certain things. I think we all are to some degree. But I just I don't know. I feel like what they're being taught, it would have been a much you'd have more people with a more open mind about things.

00;11;57;16 - 00;12;20;11
Unknown
I don't know. I just always wondered because it's public service, like people who are public servants, that's kind of. Oh, I would think one of the key characteristics. Sure. Yeah, I know. I know. But I get what you're saying with that. And one thing that I have to keep in perspective is students are students. They're still learning. So they don't know everything.

00;12;20;11 - 00;12;43;04
Unknown
They don't necessarily know how to navigate all of these different spaces and scenarios. So this is a great opportunity for us to train each other up, get that development. We need to pass it on to our students, not just by speaking, but through our actions. Yeah, there's a lot to learn from these. What do they call teachers of practice or practitioners?

00;12;43;04 - 00;13;09;15
Unknown
Me or that, you know. No, they're not going to say that word again. Yeah. So what drew you to the bush school? Was there something in particular? Did somebody reach out and they were like, hey, you need to come over here? So it was Matt? Wasn't it was amazing they recruited you. I just met Matt through my interview. Process it his amazing the entire time.

00;13;09;15 - 00;13;35;01
Unknown
It's such a joy, everyone. So I had some connections with the bush school via students that had been in programs here, graduate students. And so I heard a lot of, you know, I really like the bush school. Like it's just a solid place to be at. I feel like I have everything I need in my program to help me along, and they just had nothing but positive things to say.

00;13;35;07 - 00;13;56;02
Unknown
So that's really all I knew about the bush school. And then I kind of heard some buzz from a friend of, you know, I heard an opportunity, something you should look into, you know, maybe it really melds with what you're wanting to focus on in school. So something something to consider is this. And, you know, I'm never going to shut down opportunities.

00;13;56;16 - 00;14;16;20
Unknown
So I kind of looked into it and said, wow, okay. This aligns with a lot of things that not only are they important, but I genuinely care about them. And it really brings my school and my work together potentially. So I said, Well, all I can do is try. If it works out, great. If not, it wasn't meant for me.

00;14;16;20 - 00;14;34;04
Unknown
That means something else is in my path. And here we are. Yeah. The worst they can tell you is no. Exactly. And to me, I take that as that to know for right this moment, we'll circle back like that. We're going to put a pin on us. Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. So how do you get how do you stay?

00;14;34;04 - 00;15;01;05
Unknown
Is it just something that you were born with? Just, like, so positive. So, no, it wasn't something I was taught at classes you took for those, because I feel like I need that in my life. So that's what she meditates daily or I do use essential oils. I will say that I have a diffuser in my office, but I think the state that I'm in now with my positivity and just how I carry myself day to day.

00;15;01;18 - 00;15;24;15
Unknown
It took a while for me to get here, but I think it came from acknowledging there are so many hard things that happen in this world and every individual's lives that we know nothing about. Life is so much easier to navigate as a whole when you are positive and you keep the good things in life at the forefront of your mind.

00;15;24;22 - 00;15;44;12
Unknown
We're not all promise tomorrow, so I take it as okay, I have another day here. How can I impact people in a positive way if I can help one person sustain checks of feeling like How the hell do I apply this to children? Like How do I start 730 in the morning, out the door on time as a positive thing?

00;15;44;12 - 00;16;05;17
Unknown
When I can't get them out the door, I'm sitting here. Thing is, you drive the speed limit, don't you? That do. Yeah, yeah. But you have to think of it as one that's in her own world not noticing in and drive by and like what is she have in her coffee. I see. I am. I do swing in the car. I'm guilty. I love it.

00;16;06;03 - 00;16;34;21
Unknown
But we all think it's the car. And I tell people getting to this space, you can't stress about trying to make these changes. It just has to happen. And I think waking up on a daily with that intention, that's the first step of it. I'm going to have a good day. That's it. It's as easy as that. I'm going to make the best day I can and not getting hung up on hiccups and things like that because they happen every single day.

00;16;34;21 - 00;16;52;11
Unknown
And if I were you side eying me? I need the same Cameron and only Cameron needs to spend like a summer with you. I need you to feel these things and like you said, do doing audio. I need you to instill these things in my child. For me, that's what she should do. Now, it's not going to go great, huh?

00;16;53;05 - 00;17;13;24
Unknown
The affirmation song I keep trying to get you to listen to. Yeah, the new Snoop Dogg Affirmations. He's got his cartoon. I got a cartoon. I will say for a short time I did when I needed more reminders. I think I did write on Post-it notes and I stuck them on the mirror in my restroom. So first thing when I was getting ready, I would see them.

00;17;14;26 - 00;17;35;24
Unknown
That's my reminder. But now I'm in that space that I don't need them in front of me. But I love it. It's baby steps. We need more happy people. I'm trying and things like that. So I was glad I left for lunch today. I'm going to regroup here and try to like and start drinking again and I'm going to have to hit the pause button and that's okay.

00;17;35;27 - 00;17;56;18
Unknown
Being able to acknowledge that is great because some people can't, they just rather soak in it. So hitting the pause is a positive thing. I like it. I hit pause every time I drop off at the daycare. Then I un-pause at 5:30. Okay, so you're talking about getting published. So. So what is that? Yeah, it's like a thing.

00;17;56;18 - 00;18;30;04
Unknown
You can talk about. I can, I can. So this opportunity came about from my faculty advisor. So because I am unique in my situation as a student, I haven't made a firm decision of, okay, I'm preparing once I complete my PhD to join the professoriate and just teach. That's what I want to focus on or I want to stay and climb the ladder within administration in higher ed.

00;18;30;18 - 00;18;50;13
Unknown
I don't feel that I would do myself justice to make a firm decision on either one of those because I have no idea what life will be like by the time I finish my program, what opportunities will be there in both areas. So I would never put myself in a position to where I feel like I only have one pigeonhole notion.

00;18;50;20 - 00;19;14;22
Unknown
Yeah, that was the whole point of me earning my Ph.D. I knew as African-American, Hispanic woman working in higher education. I have to have those credentials to step into any space just to start off with. And so I said, Now's the time. The question I kind of posed to myself, considering it was what's keeping me from starting? Nothing.

00;19;15;00 - 00;19;47;14
Unknown
So I said, Well, here we are its time but with publishing, essentially that is something that if you're looking to join the professoriate post Ph.D. program, you have to have so many publications Yes. To have on your CV as a qualification. Okay. We know you've done the research. You know how to do that because there are expectations and it differs depending on what institution you're at, what your teaching looks like in comparison to your research, in your service.

00;19;47;20 - 00;20;15;28
Unknown
But ultimately, there's a percentage in all three everywhere you go. And so this was okay because I'm not going to pigeonhole myself into one path. That means I have to prepare for both. So the balance of, okay, working, staying up to date with what's going on in my work, but also for school, doing research to get published, working through my dissertation, trying to present at conferences, things like that.

00;20;16;01 - 00;20;41;25
Unknown
So my faculty advisor kind of approached me and said, Hey, it's time you're writing. You're where we're at. I have an opportunity. You tell me yay or nay, and we'll go from there. And I said, Absolutely. What space am I to say No, but I can do it. And so essentially the piece that we worked on collaboratively was me, my faculty advisor, his wife and another PhD student.

00;20;42;15 - 00;21;07;09
Unknown
The topic focuses around community college students and African-American students essentially being left out of history and of the history of community colleges. How they established and kind of the barriers we're still seeing for these students at this point. So yeah, we all kind of took a piece of the article and wrote from there. Have you ever watched the Netflix series Last Chance U?

00;21;07;09 - 00;21;25;14
Unknown
You know, so that's why when you said that piece, Mike, because I we watched last Chance U, it followed all these kids who were in college and they go to community college to play sports. But it follows the athletic teams and they started with football and then they did a season on basketball right before COVID hit. But they do they talk about that.

00;21;25;14 - 00;21;46;19
Unknown
And there's actually student advisors that work with the athletes to talk about how difficult it is for some of the African-American students, as opposed to the white, white students and what it's like at the community as a whole, the college, the whole thing. That's why a great thing like Harris County is doing and it offers free two year college to any student like that's going into community college.

00;21;46;22 - 00;22;11;21
Unknown
And I'm like, why isn't that like that here I to question like everywhere it's a question being for families who can't afford college or can't get financial advice or, you know, assistance or athletic scholarships or athletic. I mean, take your nephew, for example. I know we were so excited for him for two years for it's a lot. I mean, it was one year when he was offered a one year scholarship to U of H and he wasn't going to take it.

00;22;11;21 - 00;22;28;26
Unknown
And my sister was like, No, you need to take it. This is like you've always wanted to go here. So he took it and then they turned around and offered him a four year scholarship. So we're like super proud of him, but it was based on him being Hispanic. So we're like, Oh, for your scholarships, for your scholarship, you know him like, absolutely.

00;22;28;26 - 00;22;50;10
Unknown
And he made the grades to do it. So that's good. Yeah. Good for him. Yeah. But that's what I mean. Like, it should be it should be more available to anyone who wants to continue their education because, jeez, I'm still paying my student loans. Yeah, I mean, I had to pay for my college. That's why I never finished. But my sister, she was like going to get her social worker Ph.D. degree.

00;22;50;18 - 00;23;21;26
Unknown
And that's what she wanted to do. Oh, no. Oh, no, no, no. She went it. She did like nursing for like one semester. She did a prison guard for a little bit pathways a couple of times you have to put in perspective going to college 1718 year olds, 17, 18 year olds. You may not have a clear vision of what them do unless life looks like after that.

00;23;21;26 - 00;23;36;07
Unknown
The only ones that I have seen that do you know with our student employees, it's the parents what the parents want for them. And then they stay on this path that the parents want, which is fine. But yeah, I tell them all the time when we get our interns, I have no I still don't know what I want to do.

00;23;36;07 - 00;23;51;15
Unknown
And I'm 40 years old. Like, it's just independently wealthy. I would like to be independently wealthy. I do not want to work. I always like to not. Yeah, if I win the lottery, that's great. But I haven't taken the first step to really play. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I can do that. I watched that movie about the lottery is very funny.

00;23;51;15 - 00;24;12;12
Unknown
I'll take that older off line, Jesus. Tanner made me watch you of all people. That's my husband. He never tells me about movies. I'm the one that always tells him so. He found one that I'd never seen, and it was actually really good. The true story. Based on true story, I'll tell you anyways again, what's your favorite part about your position?

00;24;12;22 - 00;24;38;07
Unknown
Who should be the first one? Not, say, students. She's just like people in general. She wants to educate the educators. I just tell people you were wrong. I am right, love. As you all can see. I love to chat. Yeah. So having the opportunity to genuinely get to know people. I love that about my job because it's not.

00;24;38;07 - 00;24;55;10
Unknown
It's not this surface level just. How's your day? Great. Awesome. And move along. No, I really do want to know, how are things going in your day to day? If it's bad, I want to know why is it bad? Is there something that I can do to make it better? Do you realize she's staring right at me? Yeah.

00;24;56;21 - 00;25;26;01
Unknown
She is like, yeah, I feel like I. What am I supposed to tell her? How do see this? But I love. I love that that is a major component of my job because it it allows people to pause. We're all so focused on moving. I got to do this. This is it gives you that chance to just pause and be thoughtful about what you're doing and what you're saying and make that connection with someone.

00;25;26;01 - 00;25;49;26
Unknown
So I love that you’d make a Great. Bartender. Yeah, I bartended for just a little bit able to master admin and she's going to teach a class on this. She might need a retirement plan. She could have her now still bartend. Yeah, it's great. People watching. Yeah, that's why we like our job behind the scenes. Managers, people watch, get texts.

00;25;49;28 - 00;26;38;28
Unknown
You see that? So she really? Yes. Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's fair. Okay, so what direction do you hope to see the school go in in the future? Who? I would like to see the bush school and I feel like we're already moving towards that direction. But where everyone can say the bush school is the most inclusive space that they've been in, regardless of if they're a faculty member, staff or a student, that they came to the bush school and just felt that they belonged here and it's real that everyone that they interact with is really there to help them through whatever it is they're doing.

00;26;39;26 - 00;27;07;29
Unknown
So yeah, they've got a good start on that. I don't know with like the incorporation of poli sci because I think that is it's like massively expanded the school over a very, very short you want to make a communicative time. I don't mind little over a very short period of time. So I think that is so for them.

00;27;07;29 - 00;27;28;29
Unknown
I'm hoping that it's them being back even though I know they they were here, they left. They came back like, yeah, but, but see, but now they're like, here, yeah, yeah. But same for us. I mean, we're cert, we're part of the bush school, but we're hella inclusive. Well, we are. Yes, but what I'm saying, you know, support us a lot different way sometimes.

00;27;28;29 - 00;27;46;22
Unknown
So that disconnect, we're not in the building, just proximity. But yeah, I mean, like it's taken I think really honestly for me, I think it's taken until COVID and we certain espresso shots before I really sort of feel like we're part of college and just because we really didn't no one comes over here. She always hides in her office.

00;27;46;22 - 00;28;03;07
Unknown
It was me that I would go out and be like, Who are you? Who do you? That's because you get lost and you get lost. And I have to talk to people. Yeah, that's different. No. Hey, listen, I use these things to my advantage. I'll take. I'll put the positive spin on it, gives it to my advantage. It's not that I don't.

00;28;03;07 - 00;28;19;29
Unknown
I don't just hide in my office, I get out. But sometimes it's just we have so much going on over here. Can't always just make a pit stop next door and I don't have a cute little baby tote around to get. Well, that is a recent development. I've been here for almost five years. I think a just start making ventures over there till after COVID.

00;28;20;13 - 00;28;40;29
Unknown
Umm, maybe I still talk to people here when they come for events and stuff. Well, that's my cue. I'm going to start popping in. I mean, everyone we tell everyone, we have a nice conference room if you'll bring your laptop and work in there. Yeah, we're pretty loud. We go from office. Office. We really use our phones. Yeah.

00;28;41;20 - 00;29;03;28
Unknown
Yeah. Which where is your office. Yes. So my office is in the Dean suite. That's right. That's right. Yes. So I'm on the second floor. You in the near you near Dr. Ashley. I am, yeah. So there's like a threshold step over to get back to his office. Yeah. Right next door, back in a corner on she's amazing is.

00;29;03;28 - 00;29;29;25
Unknown
I'm going to really talk to her a few times yeah. Doctor Ashley told me at that director's me because we just finished watching the Halloween episode. Yvonne loves it. She's addicted now. Oh yeah. When he dressed up. Mm. Yeah. Earlier. Only one and only live episode. Yeah. Yeah. That was stressful. It was very stressful. Never happen again. I you know what we living learn happens way too much for that.

00;29;31;00 - 00;29;58;24
Unknown
I was very stressed that week. Too much. I did very good. You did? I had to really were sweating bullets. Yeah we had the real it again. I really did. It's so bad. So bad sometimes. Is there anything that you would like to share for anyone considering the Bush school, whether it's faculty, staff or students who ask my favorite question, I'm still going to ask.

00;29;59;09 - 00;30;29;23
Unknown
It's I would say for anyone considering the bush school faculty, staff or students, I would say make your way over to the bush school and come meet us. I think that is the surest way to see and feel what the bush school is about. Yeah, I like it. Bush School route on the bus. It's actually number five. Yep. Route five come see us.

00;30;30;00 - 00;30;49;23
Unknown
We'd love to walk you around. Talk through whatever it is you're interested in doing here and what our students, our faculty and staff are up to. And if that fits what you're looking for, awesome. If it does it, maybe we can point you in a different direction. But I think it's definitely worth coming to the bush. Well, just experience it on your own.

00;30;50;16 - 00;31;22;19
Unknown
So have a good feeling it's going to be a positive outcome. Love it. Love it. You mean the new spokesperson? Well, I mean, obviously she's great at recruiting, so I mean, laughs recruiting events. It's not at know I learned a lot of skills as a recruiter things things that definitely have helped me along my journey personally and professionally because again, you're meeting all types of people that are in different phases.

00;31;22;28 - 00;31;46;26
Unknown
They're looking at different things, and some may have no idea and they're just like, I'm just here. Yeah, I don't know. And so I think that really honing in on my skills in recruitment has helped me tremendously in everything that I've done, because it kind of brings you to the basics of, all right, I've got your attention right now.

00;31;47;07 - 00;32;05;14
Unknown
Give me a rundown. What are you interested in? What do you like? What do you thrive in? Okay, how can I connect that to an institution? What do we have to offer? What does that look like? And be able to go through that in about a minute and a half before you move on to say, okay, someone else and you talk to someone else.

00;32;05;27 - 00;32;33;07
Unknown
So yeah, it's like speed dating. Yeah, it is. College fairs are exactly like that. It's terrifying. We did host a recruitment. I don't remember who it was for. Mays. That's right. They did a like basically a speed recruitment fair and students move from table to table after like a minute or two. Quick, quick, quick. Yeah. One of our unique setups we don't do very often, but yeah, fair enough.

00;32;33;21 - 00;32;53;24
Unknown
You can ask your question. Okay. So I always like to bother people and ask them who their favorite is, the dean or Dr. Ashley. Mm. Yeah, that's what I get all the time. She ask them, I mean I do them equally. Say Doctor Ashley excuse retiring. They are both great in their own unique ways. Doctor Ashley is hilarious

00;32;53;26 - 00;33;22;28
Unknown
Yes, he is. It took a while for me to really get around him. He's a busy man, a lot going on to starting. But once we were kind of engaged in conversation, things its Dr. Ashley. He's funny. Yeah, he's got a lot of great stories, but in chatting with him, we have been crossing paths for years because he, you know, was over admissions for some time and funny story.

00;33;23;05 - 00;33;45;22
Unknown
So two of the first recruiters that he managed, I work with them recently on the conference that I served on Conference Planning Committee. They were managing a raffle. So a couple of weeks ago we had our conference. We were in the middle of everything and took a break to go look at raffle items and things like that. And they said, Crystal, your new job, tell us about it.

00;33;45;22 - 00;34;10;29
Unknown
You know, and so I started talking about it and they were like, Wait, you're at the Bush school now? Yes. Do you know somebody over there? Do you know Dr. Ashley? And I said, I do. He's Great. They said he was our boss. Can you tell him we said hello. So they're so excited. I can't imagine if we worked over there getting anything done.

00;34;10;29 - 00;34;40;02
Unknown
No. Heard, no ivone would hate us, she says. I think we have our times too. Just like decompress and chit chat. And you're like, All right, back to it. Good work, everybody. Yeah. So we do the chat and then it's like, we need to go get coffee or we're going to go get lunch know and then like to have like a couple of emails and then like, oh, look, I'll look, somebody is coming over like, let's talk to them.

00;34;40;29 - 00;35;03;07
Unknown
Sometimes you have to give yourself a little bit of grace with your days. That's fair. It was like every day. Yeah, a lot of grace as well. A yell across offices. Yeah. Because if we get up and go and physically and some were there, we're done. I get it. I know. I can understand that. Corey and I, we started on the same day, so we have gotten very close with each other.

00;35;03;18 - 00;35;26;11
Unknown
There's her office. She's right down the hall. Okay, so Dr. Escobar-Lemmon is right in between us, okay? Yes. And so I know I said, are we called? Are you by any means? But Cory and I started on the same day, and so I think that really solidified, like, okay, you're my first, and I mean version. We're here together because we start at the same time, so we probably have the same questions.

00;35;27;05 - 00;35;46;20
Unknown
It's worked out great. This is more but. But yes, definitely understand. And she's like, are we are we the ones making the noise in the office? I said, maybe a little bit, but nobody has complained yet. We all are in the back way from where the visitors come in at. Yeah. And Joe's on one quarter so he, he would be the one that would complain.

00;35;47;03 - 00;36;17;00
Unknown
He came down and he complained because he didn't hear anything. He said, that concerns me. What would you be. He said, No, don't you try to get over on me with that smile on your face. What are you talking about in here? What's going on? I said we're working. Maybe. Yeah. So when I don't hear y'all's, when I get concerned, like the kids the kids are, they get to play the game where you got to check.

00;36;17;01 - 00;36;32;01
Unknown
Well, he can't hear anything because the doors closed as like you turn his Hearing aid up. No, he can't hear you think because this door is great. I don't blame him, though. He's the first one, right? When you walk in, I listen to a lot of visitors. When you try to focus on numbers. Yeah. And if there's not a student at the desk.

00;36;32;24 - 00;36;54;14
Unknown
Yeah. Who's going to get it. Who's going to the question. First person with the door open? Well, according to Dr. Ashley, he's the one that answers the phones. He sometimes he sits up there. I know him once. And honestly, could you answer the phone? This is okay. That is your business. 2% other duties, right? You have one on assigned volunteered.

00;36;54;14 - 00;37;20;21
Unknown
Yes. He enjoyed it. Well, I'm so happy that you're part of the Bush family is being you. I'm enjoying it here. Well, yeah. See, when everything starts to get settled and slowed down, I'm. Then will I have to go to coffee? Maybe drink coffee or tea? Do the beer or beer or whatever that leads to? I mean, some people don't like some people don't like that.

00;37;20;24 - 00;37;38;23
Unknown
I do. I appreciate that. She was she was mindful but I deal your drink that goes with it that our is just happy because you're not at work every hour is happy for her. Even you are. We're not for you it's for her. Okay, so thank you so much.

00;37;38;23 - 00;38;02;12
Unknown
Sorry in this. And then we can continue the conversation, but we mean like an end point for Michael. Yes, absolutely. Yeah. Thank you so much for having me. I’m so glad to have a happy, fresh perspective. Yeah. I mean, there there are some things what a lot of people do we need people to like stir the pot. That’s what we need the foster the good works to bring the appropriate pot, to bring that balance of happiness, encouragement, but also I’m going to call it like I see it.

00;38;02;23 - 00;38;29;14
Unknown
Yeah, because that’s a part of the growth here for everybody. So yeah, it may be tough for some people to acknowledge that recognize it, but it’s a part of how we get to where we need to be. So and I. They’re going to have to swallow the pill. Yeah, absolutely. I love it. Absolutely. Love it. Well, thank you.

00;38;29;17 - 00;38;52;14
Unknown
Yes, this is great. Invite me back again. We Will, Bye, Bye, Bye!