Priscilla Rajan, Space and Communications Specialist, Department of Facilities Management
On finding more than a job at Mount Royal
"Before coming to work here, I was at a spot in my life where I didn't know what I wanted to do for my job, or what I wanted to do personally. I just knew I wanted to make a shift in my life. I decided I would just give it up to the universe and see what happened.
"I've changed a lot since coming here. I go to our campus gym every day and I've tried rock-climbing and squash. I've pushed myself to try things I've never tried before, to challenge myself and get out of my element. I didn't know that would happen. I took a job here to fulfill my career path, but I didn't know I would grow so much as a person in two years."
On valuing a diverse, inclusive campus
"Mount Royal has a really dynamic and diverse atmosphere. There are so many different backgrounds and cultures all in one place. What I find most interesting is working with people from across the university. I get to talk to and learn from different people every day, and it's really exciting coming to work in that environment.
"As a department, we're always working to make the campus inclusive, whether it's gender-neutral bathrooms or prayer areas. It's an important value for our department. We're making new buildings as accessible as possible, and renovating older areas to make them more accessible as well.
"Our associate vice-president is constantly telling us he wants to hear from us, making us all feel equal no matter where we came from, how old we are, or what our position is here at MRU. We're all equally valued."
Trying the rock wall at Rec
On having supportive colleagues
"Mount Royal is like a family, a bunch of different people who come together and care about each other. I value the support and openness that I receive from my colleagues every day. All of us have different backgrounds. Some have been here 10 years or more, and some have joined more recently, but we all listen to and respect each other.
"Every single person that I've interacted with here, whether it's someone I work with all the time every day or people I've just had meetings with, have played a role in my growth. I've learned from all of my experiences here, and I've learned from every conversation I've had. Everyone here has supported me and helped my in my journey."
On working with students
"When I started, I didn't think Facilities Management would have any involvement with students at all, but I work with students every semester. They get a project from us, usually related to a sustainability initiative. Every few months we also get a student on a work term. We had someone doing cost analysis for our waste diversion, and we have a student helping with auditing all the spaces on campus so we can allocate and track them.
"The best part of my job is getting to be part of that bigger picture. Mount Royal is part of Calgary's history and we're helping Calgary grow."
On growing in a role....and in life
"I'm continuing my education here, which I'm really excited about. And I pretty much join every professional development opportunity that's available. It balances me: to be effective in my role, be a good communicator, open to different opinions, and ready to learn.
"I feel like I started working here for a reason. I started meditating and practising Reiki, I started reading more, going for walks, and enjoying nature. Those are the kinds of things I try to incorporate in my life every day now. And working at Mount Royal, I can do that. They kind of came hand in hand.
Making time for a quiet moment during the work day
"I'm a happier person and all those things I used to wish I would be - more present in the moment, healthier, happier - all those things fell into place after coming here. So when I think back to my decision to work at Mount Royal, I get sentimental about it because it's the best decision I've made in my life so far."