She loves the place, loves the people.
Photo: Kami Whisenhunt | Marlin Chronicle
C.J. Sholler, assistant to the director of Security and the face of the Campus Security office for the past 20 years, retired the week before Labor Day.
Her plan is to go on an eight day retirement cruise in the Caribbean with her sister. After that, she will look for a part-time job and volunteer at the humane society.
Her favorite part of the job was “working with my kids — the students.”
“Makes me feel good when they come into my office, especially when they come in just to say hi,” Sholler said. “I’m really going to miss them.”
“C.J. is an example of the quality of person, regardless of whether they’re faculty, staff or student, that this institution attracts and values,” Keith Moore, senior vice president, said. Moore was in the room with her when she was hired 20 years ago.
“I remember talking to the kids and telling them to make the most out of their college experience,” Sholler said, remembering her first day on campus. She said she felt like she was just out of college at the time herself.
“She was emotional about leaving because she loves it too much,” Moore said. “She loves the place, loves the people.”
She was sad to be leaving and said she would miss everyone, but she was nonetheless looking forward to retirement. She is going to volunteer at the humane society because, “I want to work with cats.”
“When you work with someone for 20 years and you have a working relationship,” Moore said. “It goes beneath the surface of that, and that’s who we are as an institution: we genuinely care about each other, regardless of role.
“To have that working relationship come to a close, and then have that personal connection come to the surface, it means a lot,” Moore said.
“She truly appreciated having interactions with our faculty, staff and students in the role that she served,” Moore said.
Sholler is going to be missed, and did a lot of work for the security department. “[Sholler is] very efficient,” Moore said, “and I like that about people.” According to Moore, her departure is not the reason for the car decals and IDs now being handled by finance, a task she has been in charge of for at least several years.
Moore said that the reason for the change was “because both are tied to financial components … it’s just an easier process for the faculty, staff and students to go to the place where you’re paying for something to get it.”
“Things don’t necessarily have to be urgent to be timely, but she understood the importance of pivoting and was able to get things done efficiently and effectively in a timely way,” Moore said.
If there was one thing she could tell everyone, it would be “how much I’m going to miss all the people here.” She said she was proudest of working with students.
“I’ve seen thousands of them come through my office,” Sholler said.
“I’m also going to miss the administration, faculty and staff, including maintenance and housekeeping,” Sholler said.
Sholler has been one of the first faces students see on campus for two decades.
By: Victoria Haneline
vfhaneline1@vwu.edu
