Most Colgate University students’ interactions with the package center start with the excitement of seeing the email that their package has been received and ends with leaving the package center with their package. Located behind Gate House, the package center is a simple building with not much to boast. However, this does not stop it from thrilling students who visit it to see what they received. From Amazon orders to special deliveries, junior Leah Crebbin has seen it all in her time as a student worker at the package center.
She, like many other Colgate students, was looking for a job that was low-stress and could fit well into her academic and extracurricular schedule. However, finding her path to her current position took her on a little bit of a roundabout way, one that took her around campus during her shifts.
“I originally reached out to the mail center about wanting a job last fall and all they had opening was the campus delivery driver,” Crebbin said. “And so last fall, I delivered mail to all the departments around campus. I drove around a campus van. And then when the spring was coming around, that schedule-wise didn’t fit with my classes anymore, so [they] said there was an opening at the package center, so I got moved up there.”
Crebbin has now worked at the package center for the past semester and a half. As many would expect, her duties involve organizing the packages once they have been scanned into the system and scanning packages out when students come to pick them up. Crebin expanded on her typical tasks.
“Basically, whenever I have a shift, I go in and I get set up at a computer where I just log into the website that allows us to scan packages,” Crebbin said. “And when students come in, I get their packages for them and bring the packages to them. And when there are no students in there, then I’m putting away and reorganizing all the packages we have that came in and have been scanned into our system.”
Anyone who has ordered packages to Colgate’s campus can appreciate the importance of Crebbin’s role in getting their correct package in a timely manner, both at delivery and at the counter. However, her favorite part of the job doesn’t come from the packages at all — it comes from seeing who will walk through the door next, as students often visit the package center in between classes or at the end of their day before returning to their dorms.
“I think it’s fun that I never know who’s gonna walk in, and then I get to see my friends or new faces every day I’m there. It is definitely a very social job,” Crebbin said.
Additionally, Crebbin has spent a lot of time getting to know her fellow students and full-time coworkers.
“I really like to hang out with everyone,” Crebbin said. “It’s allowed me to meet people that I didn’t know before, even though they may be in my grade or older than me. I wouldn’t have met them because they’re in different majors or something. I also really enjoy the adult staff who work there. They’re very welcoming and very fun, [which makes] it a good environment.”
Whether you frequent the package center or have only visited once or twice, look out for Leah Crebbin, who plays a vital role in keeping the campus running smoothly.
