Staff Spotlight: Carol Lavis
Carol Lavis, administrative coordinator in the Department of Theatre and Dance, will retire at the end of 2020 after 30 years at Wake Forest. 21 of these years have been in Theatre and Dance. She will be missed!
How has Wake changed since you started?
Since I started, FAS has grown from about 5 people to too many to count; there are way more VPs and administrative staff; and there basically wasn’t a North Campus – the buildings on that side of campus stopped with Wait Chapel and Scales; and then there’s Workday!
What have you enjoyed most while working at Wake?
Without a doubt the people are what kept me coming in to work everyday. Our faculty and students are inspirational and awesome in so many ways. My fellow staff colleagues are kind, thoughtful, hard working, and know that we are here to support the real mission of the university – to educate our future – in any way we can.
Tell us about a favorite interaction with a student or faculty member.
Most recently, an anonymous “grateful student” left a handwritten note thanking me for all the little things that I do and calling me a “wizard” and the “backbone of the department.” It wasn’t a true interaction in the sense that I didn’t get to respond directly to them but I’m pretty sure I know who left the note and it will be a treasured memory for me. However, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that my faculty and staff colleagues are the most appreciative people I’ve ever worked with – hugs and “love you” are not uncommon responses from them. It’s one of the things I have truly missed since I’ve been working remotely and look forward to the day that we can share a lunch date or watch a theatre or dance performance in one of our theatres together.
What is a fun fact about yourself that would surprise students to hear?
For the last 10 years or so I’ve been playing darts in the Winston-Salem Sunday Night Dart League with some colleagues in the department (and my husband) on a team called Snake Farm. We won the division championship a couple of years ago and I also have several individual awards from recent seasons. It’s a great way to spend a Sunday night!
What activities do you plan to enjoy when your retirement begins?
Playing darts, exploring more national parks and wineries and breweries, travel adventures with family, volunteering, and lots of reading on beaches.
Carol Lavis