Cabrini University is a great place filled with plenty of education and opportunities, but that’s not all it has to offer. Another great about Cabrini is the plethora of faculty and staff here on campus who genuinely care about student’s well-being and their progress. One of those staff members that I want to highlight is Chris Jones. Chris is the Building and Serials Manager over at the Holy Spirit Library.
I first met Chris during my first semester here at Cabrini when I was employed as a student worker at the Library. I remember making an impression during my interview for the position by wearing a full suit and a bow tie. From then on we were able to build rapport with each other which has allowed us to have many conversations throughout the years about sports, changes on campus, academics, politics, and social issues going on around the world, especially the ones involving people of color. It wasn’t long before Chris went from just a supervisor to someone who I would consider an on-campus mentor. This is evident in the fact that at the start of my junior year I no longer worked at the library, but I would still stop by almost weekly to gain more “nuggets of wisdom” as some might say. I was able to learn things from him that you can’t always get in a classroom like knowing your worth, putting yourself out there, and branding yourself.
For quite a while I wasn’t too sure what I wanted to do with my degree once I graduate. After having several talks with Chris, he told me that he sees me more on the video creation side of things and encouraged me to pursue that route in the digital communication field. This was something that truly awakened the passion of video storytelling inside of me and gave me the confidence to go for it. Now I feel that I am ready for life after graduation and I know what I want to do, I feel this wouldn’t be possible it if wasn’t for Chris’ help.
I know I am not the only student who sees him as a mentor on campus. Many students I know make it a habit to stop by the Library just to talk to Chris. He is someone who genuinely cares about the growth of students here at Cabrini. I believe he has made an impact on many students who have come in and out of the Holy Spirit Library, he definitely made an impact on mine.