Here is this week’s campus celebrity: *drum roll, please*
ROCHELLE WILLIS.
She has put in hard work and time into UH Manoa as a Buildings Ground and Maintenance Supervisor for 26 years. She started working here on August 16, 1989 and continues to work here till this day.
She enjoys working here because it has given the opportunity to show her leadership experience, organizational skills, and the chance to work with the government. She has a well rounded background with this type of work due to being a resident manager for 16 years at an apartment in Kalihi, and also working at Home Depot for 12 years in the Hardware department. Her responsibilities are to up keep and maintain a safe environment, supervise full time employees as well as undergraduates, and is also the point of contact when no one else is available. She has many memories that she has working here but the one that she can recall is being able to see one of her student employees graduate because he had a hard time with school as well as work but he managed to graduate and till this day he keeps in touch with her and that is the outcome she wants from her workers is to be able to see them grow and to keep in contact with her.
Aside from working she likes to up keep her own home, and spend time with her family whether it is at home, or at the beach.
She lives by two quotes, one from her 7th Grade teacher named Ms. Bailey and it was:
“To want what you want, you must want what your want brings.”
and also
“Growing old is a privilege denied to many”
Throughout her time at UH Manoa she has learned patience, compassion, and differences between ages because she is able to learn different perspectives from all age groups.
I am proud to say that this week’s Campus Celebrity is not only a hard worker at UH, but is also my aunty who has taught me so much throughout my life and has helped my mother raise my siblings and I. Thank you for maintaining our campus and all your hard work!