Brianna Shanks’26: Building Community Before Daybreak

The Student Rec Center opens at 6am, just as the sun slowly peaks from its horizon and the world wakes for the day. But the building doesn’t magically open when the clock strikes 6, its doors are unlocked by someone who rises before the sun: Brianna Shanks ’26, a facilities supervisor and trainer.

“There’s just something about 5:30 in the morning working with the same people,” Shanks said. “You really see a different side of them when the sun’s not even out yet. It’s also really fun to commiserate about how it’s so early and so many people are beating down the door and want to come and work out.”

Shanks came to Texas A&M from El Campo, Texas as an English major and applied for the facilities associate position as a freshman looking to make some money and gain some leadership skills along the way. In the three years she worked at Rec Sports in a position driven by customer service and conflict management, she rose through the ranks by connecting with patrons through her humor. To her supervisors that quality stuck out when it came time for promotions. 

“[Shanks] recognizes what is important to tackle first, as well as how to appropriately and professionally interact with people,” said Emily Patterson, assistant director of Operations & Events. “The best part about that, she does it with humor. So, when she continued doing that, that’s when we saw her ability to connect with people and make them feel positive about their experience, even if she had to deliver a negative message.” 

From there, she became a facilities supervisor, but her role didn’t end there. After graduating in May, she came back to work for the summer and was met with another responsibility — training the staff under her. 

“I wasn’t not confident in myself before stepping into that role as a trainer, but I will say that following my ability to train people and see just how much I actually do know about this job has really boosted my self-confidence,” Shanks said. 

As facilities supervisors, staff are responsible for ensuring patrons have a smooth experience through the Strength & Conditioning areas, intramural sports and any reservations around the facility. The role also requires hourly building rounds and conflict resolution, so Shanks focuses on giving staff the skills they need to handle the job.

“She’s not afraid to have a conversation with someone if they’re not pulling their weight on the shift and when she approaches those conversations, it’s not like a lecture of, ‘I know you can do better’,” Patterson said. “Its, ‘Can I say something funny, or can I find a common topic that we like to kind of boost your morale?’” 

Yet being a facilities supervisor was not her only responsibility, Shanks was also a student. When Shanks was not at one of the facilities, she was at Sterling C. Evans Library. 

“I was an Evans library warrior, I was there all the time,” Shanks said. “But then I just got where I felt like I was on campus all day. I made sure that, even if it meant waking up at five everyday, I was going to do my best. Make sure that I felt happy and healthy and for me that looked like going for a run or getting in a shift at work … work on a little bit everyday.” 

With a few more weeks left at Rec Sports, Shanks prepares for her future in academia — planning to go to graduate school to get her masters and doctorate in theology. 

“That is a lot of education and a lot of schooling, but academia is really where my heart is at, and I am really excited to honestly just spend the rest of my life in that environment and continuing to teach and develop young minds,” Shanks said. 

As one supervisor moves on, the legacy and culture she left behind will remain forever. 

“I tell the supervisor staff all the time, if we’re doing our jobs well no one notices, because it is a smooth interaction throughout someone’s entire time at the facility that we’re at,” Patterson said.