Ask Sara Shull what she loves about working for Marshall University, and she’ll tell you it’s the people she meets. Whether it’s the people she comes across while she’s in and out of offices in Old Main, or the hardworking staffers she works alongside, treading the halls with good folks is what can brighten your day and make Marshall more than just a job.
But she has another reason she loves her job, which may or may not be an unpopular opinion.
“I love to clean,” she said with a shrug. “People tell me I’m OCD or something — it’s just me. When I’m home, I clean but I don’t get paid for it. When I’m here, I get to clean, but I get paid for it.”
Shull is not sure where she got the cleaning bug, but the messier the better — she’s glad to have something to do.
“It’s in my blood or something,” said the Cabell Midland High School grad from neighboring Barboursville, West Virginia. “I can go visit somebody and I clean there. They’re like, ‘That’s just what she does.’ I’m not the type to sit. I have got to be moving. That’s just how I am, I don’t know.”
Here at Marshall, where she’s worked for two years cleaning several other buildings prior to her current position in Old Main, Shull will go out of her way to keep the campus not only clean, but safe, said Mark Brumfield, campus manager for Facilities & Operations.
“Sara has been cleaning for many years, and her work is truly top-notch. She has always been a great employee — polite, enjoyable to be around, and an exceptionally hard worker,” he said.
“She is reliable and consistently serves as a go-to person whenever something needs to be handled.”
During this winter’s storms, she went above and beyond just to keep people from slipping on the plaza.
“Sara was using the ATM at the Student Center when she noticed how slippery the plaza bricks had become, due to a small amount of snow and rain beginning to freeze,” Brumfield said. “Although this is not one of the buildings we clean, Sara recognized the potential safety concern. She immediately reported it to her supervisor, Heather Lowe, and together they applied ice melt across the plaza to help prevent anyone from slipping.
“Sara did not have to take action, but she chose to do so because she genuinely cares about the safety of our students and campus community. Her initiative and commitment to doing the right thing are just a few of the many reasons she is such a valued employee. Marshall and Old Main are truly lucky to have her.”