Student Spotlights

When visiting the Student Rec Center, you may not think about the man-hours necessary to keep such a large facility running smoothly. It may hardly cross your mind that dozens of full-time staff and nearly a thousand students go to the Rec for work, not recreation. Such is the case for Caitlin Johnson, a senior at Texas A&M University.

Despite being the youngest of her family, Johnson leads her family in the pursuit of higher education; she is a first-generation college student and Aggie. Not only that, but she also works part-time, leading her fellow students as a facility supervisor at the Department of Rec Sports.

When asked about her responsibilities within Texas A&M Rec Sports, Johnson replied, “my role is to manage the daily operations of facilities. We open the buildings, we set up courts for various different activities, sports, events, and whatnot, and I also manage the facilities staff (so all the rest of the student employees).”

Johnson began working for the Department of Rec Sports in 2018, and she credits her first-year mentors for guiding her through the mores of Rec Sports and developing her skills as a student employee.

“When I was a freshman,” Johnson said, “I had mentors – older students, juniors and seniors – that really pulled me in and made me feel welcomed, so that was what kept me coming back.”

Johnson would go on to apply what she learned as a student worker to the department as it underwent a series of historic, university-wide changes.

“When I first got hired, it was just the main rec center (Student Rec Center) that we would operate,” Johnson said, “and then we had a merger, so that included all the satellite facilities like Penberthy and PEAP. Since then, we’ve built Polo and the Southside, so [there are] lots of opportunities for students to come and get their time of recreation in.”

Johnson is now in her final semester at Texas A&M, and during our interview, reminisced on her professional growth during her years working for Rec Sports.

““[Working for the Rec] has given me a really good opportunity to develop a skill set that’s transferable to a lot of different aspects of life. It’s helped me develop strengths like communication, time management – honestly, general self-discipline is a really good quality I feel like I’ve learned.” 

Johnson’s story is emblematic of the Department of Rec Sports’ commitment to personal development. From her time as a freshman, Johnson improved her skills in communication, service, and management day in and day out. What is perhaps most impressive, however, is her adaptability to the changing Rec Sports environment. She has not only succeeded in her duties as a worker but proven her skills as a leader within the facilities team. By taking on more responsibilities in her role over time, Johnson exemplified the core values of excellence, leadership, loyalty, and service.