Know Your Bookstore Employees- William

First of all, tell us a little about yourself. I graduated from OTC in 2012 with an Associate of Arts degree in teaching. I’m currently a senior at MSU with a major in math education. I work in General Merchandise at the OTC Bookstore, with a focus on required supplies and office supplies.

While the General Merchandise employees at the OTC Bookstore share similar responsibilities, you have some unique responsibilities. Can you tell us about them? Specifically, my purpose is to help take the load off of our GM manager by doing a lot of background number-crunching to determine the appropriate stock levels for the required supplies. I get to research new and fun items and recommend them for the bookstore. I’m also heavily involved in making sure all students have graduation regalia, processing those orders, and putting plans together for our team store.

What do you like to do for fun?
I enjoy mathematics and playing video games.

How long have you been working for the bookstore?
About 2 years.

…oh my gosh, has it been that long?

What other, non-OTC jobs have you had in addition to this one?
I worked at Wal-Mart for ten years in store planning, remodeling and setting up brand new stores all across the country. I’ve traveled everywhere from New York to Florida, Michigan to Texas.

What's your favorite aspect of working at the bookstore?
Being a student, I enjoy the flexible hours and being able to contribute to the success of the bookstore and students at OTC while still having time to do the things that I need to.

Any favorite bookstore-related memory you could share with us?
Last year’s Community Day; we made Sno Cones! I’m also a fan of the student picnics. Really, I enjoy participating in all the events OTC does…at least, when it’s not raining.

Working at the bookstore is cool and all, but what's your dream job?
Teaching mathematics at a small high school in a nice rural town somewhere in the great American South.

What’s your favorite item that the bookstore carries, and why?
I get excited about so many things…I haven’t been able to tell all the special stories behind all the items in my department. The Maped study set [only $6.99!] is definitely my favorite item we carry, though. It has a compass, protractor, and triangles, making it much higher-quality than what we previously carried. Students really wanted it, and I was able to resource the item from a different vendor and sell it cheaper to the students!

If you could have any super power in the world, what would it be?
To magically reach difficult students and teach them math.

I asked fellow “folically-gifted” employee Jeff, so it only seems right to ask you, as well: what shampoo do you use for your long luxurious locks?
Suave, though I have been known to use Mane and Tail [BLOGGER’S NOTE: We do not currently sell either item at the OTC Bookstore. Sorry].

Finally, what would you like to say to all the people reading this blog right now?
Do what you need to do to get your education. Without one, you’ll face significant [avoidable] challenges in life, and OTC is a great place to start.