When visitors to the President's Office are greeted by Elaine Devlin's brown eyes peering over the counter, they don't need to see her mouth to know that she's greeting them with a welcoming smile. Her eyes say it all. Whether she's answering phones or making travel arrangements for President Susan A. Cole, Elaine enjoys the diversity of the second floor corner office in College Hall. "No two days are the same and there's always something going on," said Elaine, who is pursuing a bachelor's degree in education. "That's what keeps it interesting." As the first person to greet visitors to the office, Elaine answers questions and provides information. "I take care of a lot of little details. People are always coming in and out of the office, so what I do really depends on their requests." Elaine also prepares correspondence from Cole for upcoming events and conferences. "That includes getting speeches together, organizing special projects or sending letters." Her day might also include gathering supplies for one of Cole's overseas trips. "Before President Cole went to China, we prepared packets of information about the University and purchased gifts for her to bring along." Elaine also had to become accustomed to working in a collegiate environment. "Before I came here, I worked in a small office at a telecommunications company for 10 years. I was nervous at first because I thought working in a larger place would be overwhelming, but it's great. Everyone here is so nice," she said. She did learn, however, that you can't pull one over on the president. "Dr. Cole gave me a gift for my bridal shower, and I wanted to slip a thank you card into her office when she wasn't in," said Elaine, who is getting married this month. "When I thought I heard her in the kitchen, I grabbed the card and tried to leave it in her office before she got back. But as I went through the door I came face to face with Dr. Cole. She looked at me, kind of startled, and asked, 'What's the matter?' I felt like a jerk. But Dr. Cole was good about it and the situation was actually funny." Go back to the Insight index