Is it too early to say I love my job yet? Although I have only had my gig at Coastal Carolina University since last Thursday I couldn’t be more excited about what I am doing or more satisfied with the decision I made to come here. The welcome I have received on campus has exceeded all my expectations and while I have the freedom to do my work I also know I have the complete support of our staff if I needed assistance. In tonight’s blog post I just want to share a few things that I have experienced in my first few days at CCU.

Finals Frenzy – It is finals week at Coastal Carolina. Last night an event called Finals Frenzy took place in Hicks Hall on campus. Starting at 10 p.m. and going until midnight students could come by and eat a variety of free food, participate in a cornhole tournament, win sweet prizes, and try to make a dent in a giant mountain of ice cream. For me it marked the first CCU event that I got to cover. I really enjoyed interacting with the students and observing them as well. Another highlight was that I got to meet several staff members who play large roles in the CCU social media landscape. Adding just one more plus to the late evening was that I got introduced to the President, Dr. DeCenzo.

This wasn’t even the ice cream mountain at full size. In fact, this was what it looked like over an hour into the event.

Exposure to Different Students – Today I went and took behind the scenes photos/video at the taping of the news program that our department puts out called “Coastal Today”. The particular show shot this morning was a special with the graduating Bachelor of Fine Arts students. With the filming taking place in the intimate Black Box Theater of the Edwards Building I had the opportunity to meet extremely talented individuals who hope to make a big splash in the performing arts world. Fresh off a trip to New York where they underwent evaluation, the students had the opportunity to talk on camera about their experiences and upcoming graduation. I absolutely loved working with student-athletes but I find it cool that I now get to work with a wide variety of different student groups.

I went on set of “Coastal Today” and met some cool students.

Teal Tuesday – Coastal Carolina University has an awesome tradition where the campus dresses in teal on Tuesdays. People take this very seriously, especially the staff, and as you can imagine the participation rate is high. I sported my new teal CCU polo today and really felt part of the Coastal Carolina family. Besides the fact that I like the color teal and that I love the concept in general I also enjoy the fact that my decision on what to wear on Tuesdays is no longer an issue.

Me on my first ever Teal Tuesday.

Office Location and Staff – I work in University Communication at CCU. We are housed right in the middle of campus in the Singleton Building. Besides my office (which also includes media relations, marketing/licensing, publications, and graphics) we also share the building with the President’s office, business and finance, and legal counsel. While it is a neat deal to work in the administration building on campus the experience is heightened even more because of the people I get to work with inside those walls. I can’t say enough about how much the staff I am on has gone out of their way to make me feel comfortable and welcome. My boss is beyond awesome and the other people who make up University Communication treat me so well. I have said it before, I am extremely happy I made the decision that I did.

The Singleton Building is where I work in (left) and this is the door to our offices (right).

Beauty – The campus here is gorgeous. It is vibrant green and the grounds are meticulously well-kept. A pond sits in the middle of campus with a bridge crossing over it. Flower beds can be found everywhere you look. Adding to the beauty of the campus is the fact that it is pretty much always drenched in abundant sunshine. What’s not to like?!

During an early morning stroll on campus I took this photo of the pond while crossing the bridge.

I am on fire for what I am doing right now. I love what I am tasked with and the environment that I get to do it in. Coastal Carolina University is a wonderful place to work and I am very glad that I am here. Don’t Blink.