By Abby Gan | Staff Writer
While students may only see the mail services desk and part of the mail room, there’s much going on behind the scenes, with many employees working tirelessly to sort, receive and deliver packages, as well as employees who have spent years watching students enter and leave Baylor — all from behind the desk.
Mail Services Director, Jessie Souza started working at Baylor in October, learning the ropes from the previous director. She assumed her role in January and said this is her first fall semester.
“The crew downstairs had been here for many years. So, they knew what it was going to be like and how chaotic it was. And they were so sweet. They kept trying to tell me, ‘It’s gonna get crazy. It’s gonna get crazy,’” Souza said. “That’s the crew that we have here. I am so incredibly blessed because they work so well together as a team, they really do.”
The team is like a well-oiled machine, Souza said.
“You never walk into a position with a team that works so well together like this. I mean, they are a great crew. So, I can’t sing their praises enough — they make me look good,” Souza said.
Mail clerk Thomas Rust has been working at mail services for over four years. Rust said he had been needing a job to work for a long time and then found this job.
“I got the call, and everything here is relatively stress-free and very accommodating. It’s easy, but challenging at the same time,” Rust said.
Rust said the mail services team provides a service that is definitely needed —helping people to get their stuff. Rust said they begin to recognize students as time goes on.
“Students that are here almost every day or multiple times a day, we recognize them. … The same as like the live-in faculty and live-in staff, we recognize all of them, we have most of their like box numbers memorized,” Rust said. “It’s just nice to see them get their stuff and eventually graduate.”
Souza said mail services workers want to help students, but security is also important. Students can get frustrated when a package they receive is not in their name or if they have received an email from the company stating that the package has been delivered but not from mail services, Souza said.
“We have 1200 packages that we have to process. And as soon as we process it, we’ll send you the email, and you can come and pick it up. I think it’s because we have to keep these items secure. And we have to be able to trace where these items have gone. That does take a little bit of time,” Souza said. “That can be frustrating if it’s something that you really need … but these guys that are downstairs are so cool and calm. And like I said, they’re very efficient.”
Souza said one of her favorite moments in mail services is when freshmen get decorated care packages.
“We get so excited about that and being able to see the student when they get that package. And some students are like, ‘Oh, my mom’ But for us, we find tremendous joy in that,” Souza said. “It is one of my favorite, favorite things is giving a student a care package for mom and dad that has wild and crazy decorations. Yeah, it’s supposed to be slightly embarrassing, but it’s just endearing.”
Souza said the crew is very approachable and friendly and helps alleviate any stress that could be associated with mail services for students.
“Some of these kids have never … mailed [a] package or mailed a letter …sometimes it can be hard to remember exactly what that letter is supposed to look like. But these guys downstairs are happy to help kids figure that out or staff figure that out,” Souza said.
