You make a difference award
By Anna Altwies, ESU Media Relations
Originally published 02:31 p.m., May 15, 2008
Updated 02:31 p.m., May 15, 2008
In the four years that Stan Williams has worked as a custodial specialist at Emporia State University, he has made an impact on the people he works with on a daily basis. Because of this, Williams is a You Make a Difference award recipient.
Williams works in the football area of the Health, Physical Education and Recreation building at ESU. He cleans up the locker room after the players and coaching staff.
“Being around the team and coaching staff keeps me young and I like being able to interact with them,” Williams said.
Because of the people he gets to work with, Williams said he doesn’t really feel like it is a job.
“I love football, and Coach Higgins has given me sideline passes which is awesome,” he said. “Being around football and working with the guys makes it a blast.”
Like the coaches, Williams sees the players come in as freshmen, then mature into seniors.
He said it’s not always easy to see them leave, but he respects them for what they are accomplishing with their education.
“It’s sad to watch the guys come in and grow then to graduate, but I’m proud to see them do that because education comes first,” Williams said.
Williams said one of his favorite things about working at ESU is the atmosphere.
“This is a great place to work; I love it,” he said. “All of the people are friendly and it’s just a nice place to be. I think it’s the best college in the state. It’s a laid back, friendly place to be, and it’s one of the best in higher education.”
Caring about what he does is one of the biggest keys to what has made Williams so successful at his job. To him, one of the most important things anyone can do is to care about what they do and those around them.
“I had never done this kind of work before, and when I got here I kind of adopted the [HPER] building,” Williams said. “I care about people and I care about what I do; I just like taking care of things.”
Williams was shocked to receive the You Make a Difference Award, and at first wasn’t sure why he got it and if he deserved it, but it is clear that his work ethic and positive attitude make him the perfect recipient. He has some simple advice for others for how they can try to make a difference.
“Treat somebody nice, because maybe they can do something for someone else.”