Jennifer Hudson’s off-the-job interests include working with Habitat for Humanity, the Athens Housing Authority and the Sunday school at her church. She also enjoys spending time with her three children. (Photo by Peter Frey)

JENNIFER HUDSON
Storekeeper
Electronics Design and Maintenance Shop
Research Services

JOB DESCRIPTION: “We sell computer and printer parts, cables, Ethernet cards, hard drives, memory and other parts you might need to fix a computer or printer at the e-shop. We also install computer cables throughout campus.

“I wait on a lot of customers— staff, students and faculty at the university.”

TIME IN CURRENT POSITION: “Three years and seven months, with four years before that in sales.”

TYPICAL DAY: “A typical day for me includes answering the telephone, getting shipping and receiving orders prepared for the stockroom, checking in merchandise, waiting on customers and maintaining inventory for the e-shop. I also try to train myself on all the different areas here so I can help out if someone’s out of the office.”

MOST REWARDING PART OF MY JOB: “Customers are the highlight of my day. Most of the time they don’t know what they need, and it’s an adventure to help them. It’s great to get to see the expressions on their faces when I can help them.

“I try to reassure them that everything’s going to be okay. You’d be surprised how many people from all walks of life come in here—from students to professors—and they are so overwhelmed with their computer problems.

“Everyone’s wound up so tight with the way the world is. I make it a priority to use my day to reach out to people who cross my path and to make a difference in their day.

“I get to meet people from all around the world, and I ask them to teach me how to say things in different languages. I love people, and I really enjoy my job because I get to meet so many people.

“The employees here are like one big family. We work together as a team and support each other.”

MOST CHALLENGING PART OF MY JOB: “My biggest challenge is when I don’t have what a customer needs—it’s frustrating to me and the customer. I do my best to find the parts, and will let them know we can get them, or if there is some place else they can find what they need. We can also special order parts for people if needed.”

OTHER UGA WORK EXPERIENCE: “I worked at Oglethorpe House with food services years ago, keeping the lines moving.”

PREVIOUS WORK EXPERIENCES: “I worked at Family Counseling Services as a counselor and parent aide, and have had some retail sales and customer service jobs.

“I worked at a factory for a while, too, but I didn’t enjoy it. I’ve really enjoyed the people-oriented jobs the most.”

If I wasn’t doing this job, I would most like to: “Be a masseuse, because then I would be the person everyone comes to in order to relax. I think the world is too stressful.

“Or I might be some kind of entertainer, because I love life and I like to show people that they are special. I could also be a counselor or a motivational speaker, because I like to reach out and show people some of the positive things that they don’t see in themselves.”

OFF-THE-JOB INTERESTS: “I enjoy working with Habitat for Humanity, and I actually own a home built through Habitat.

“I have also worked with the Athens Housing Authority’s summer lunch program for children, and I work during Sunday school at my church, Church of the Nations.

“I am also the single parent of three kids, Tony, 21, Jasmine, 19, and Braxton, 12. Braxton is into soccer and so I’m always going to games. Jasmine is in school in Augusta, and Tony still lives at home and is about to start at Athens Tech.

“Outside of the university, I have had my own part-time cleaning service for about a year.”

A BOOK I’D RECOMMEND TO OTHERS: “The book I’m reading now is good. It’s called Love, Sex and Lasting Relationships by Chip Ingram. And of course the Bible is always good to read.”

THE PERSON I MOST ADMIRE: “Veda McLain, one of my best friends. She’s a graduate of UGA, and is a chairperson of the elementary education department at Arkansas State University.

“She’s also a single parent, with five kids. She’s very motivated and focused, but she’s still so humble, sweet and caring. She loves educating children and loves to see people grow.

“She would make millions if she ever wrote a book because she has a way of really drawing you into the subject she’s writing about and making it interesting.”

THE ISSUE THAT CONCERNS ME MOST ABOUT TODAY’S WORLD: “There is so much hatred in our country.

“I want us all to start working to find common ground, so we can all see that we’re all just people, regardless of where we come from or what color our skin is. We need to unify, to work together to fix our country from the inside.

“After 9/11, we really came together as a country. If we can do that once, we can do that all the time. Instead of tearing each other down, why don’t we build each other up?”