At Stephen F. Austin State University (TX), Rosie Waters is much more than a cashier and stocker at the student center Marketplace. She offers kind words, hugs and a sense of belonging for the students she interacts with daily. “She’s kind of like the East Texas grandma figure who says ‘sweetie,’ ‘honey,’ and she also says, ‘loved one,’” said Assistant Director of Retail Liz Toledo. “And it’s the sweetest thing to hear her say that.”
Waters told The Pine Log newspaper that she remains so positive “by taking it day by day.” This “positive aura” is valued by Natasha Varela, Chartwells’ district manager who oversees Waters’ work. She said students “need that consistent character in their lives, especially if they are away from home for the first time,” according to the paper. “You can tell it’s like everyone is her family,” Varela said. “The students are her family. She loves them as her own.”
Read more about Rosie Waters and her positive impact here.