Juan Lesser is the Tyler Junior College student life specialist, Student Senate adviser and the Hispanic Student Organization adviser. Lesser recently celebrated his one-year anniversary on Sept. 20. Before working for Student Life, he attended TJC. While attending, Lesser was the Student Senate vice president, a member of The DrumBeat, a HSO member and a student worker for student life. The DrumBeat sat down with him to discuss his year so far.
How does it feel to be at TJC for a year?
I really enjoy it. It’s a real pleasure to work in the Student Life Office. I love my boss; it has really been an awesome year. I have really enjoyed it, planning events with both Lauren Tyler and Caitlin Ibarra. They are great people to work with. You know, we have had our ups and downs, but more ups than downs. I’ve really enjoyed it, and I can’t wait for my next year working here.
How does it feel to be able to work at the college you went to?
Honestly, like, it didn’t hit me. So, I was working here for my first three months. I started working here in September, and then like it was October, it was homecoming. And then in November, and it was a lot better than I imagined it to be, because, before I was working here in the office as a student assistant worker, and I worked over the summer, and then Lauren offered me a job. At first, I said no, and she was like ‘OK, well, I’m not going to accept your no and just think about it.’ So, I thought about it. And then I went out to the Ya-A-Te leadership retreat. It’s a camp that we do before the first week of school for the freshmen. I went out to Ya-A-Te with Lauren, and I really fell in love with student life, and helping students. Really connecting with a lot of people, and meeting new students, and I really liked it a lot.
How did your time at TJC as a student help you prepare for this?
A lot. I started out, going here to campus, just to class. And then I go out to an organization, general meeting, and then I’m like, I fall in love with that. I became an officer in that organization. And then I met Lauren, and she said, ‘Hey, you have a lot of energy, I like that in students. Do you want to come to work for us in the Student Life Office?’ And I was like, yes. And then I started working here and then I became involved in the Student Senate and became the student body vice president. Then from there, summer came, and she was like, ‘Hey, like you’re still working for us over the summer. Like do you want to move up to full time?’
What has been your favorite part of working for student life?
100% the students. I met some of my best friends getting involved here at TJC. And if I can help at least one student and make them find their best man at their wedding, or a bridesmaid at their wedding, or get a couple to go together and potentially move on in life, then I’ll be very happy. Lauren and Caitlin, they tell me like, ‘Oh, one of our students is getting married.’ I’m thinking, wow, that’s going to be me in two or three years, like, I’m going to get a text one day from one of my workers from last year, and they’re going to tell me, ‘So and so are getting married. Do you want to come?’ You know, just like the connections with the students that I make that will last forever and helping them out to find people and their longtime best friends.
How does it feel to be able to help the current Student Senate after being part of it in the past?
I’m really excited for this year. Last year, I was kind of getting the feel for the waters of being an adviser for the senate, because it’s such an important organization for the campus. That, like, I didn’t want to just, you know, go full on 100 miles an hour on it, but I feel more confident about it this year than last year. Last year went really well, but this year I feel like I’m more prepared. I know what to expect, and I guess I’m ready. Bring it on.
What made you want to work at TJC?
My previous job. I was a server at a restaurant, and server hours vary. Like, this place that I worked at, I’d go in at 3 p.m., and I wouldn’t leave till 1 a.m. Then I’d sleep all the way until 1 p.m. and then just go to work. On top of that, do school. It was that and as a server you’ll have some days where you get a lot of money, some days where you get almost no money. Then this job does help me kind of manage my money more. And Lauren was like, ‘You should work for us. It’s fun and you get weekends off,’ and for servers’ weekends, those are the money days.
What would you say to someone considering also becoming a student life adviser?
I would say plan out your semester in advance. It’s nice to have all the dates that you’re going to have, that you’re going to be busy in front of you, so you can plan around that. I say if you want to plan something for fall, in July finalize it, set the dates, start contacting vendors. If you want to plan something in the spring, January to May, I’d say start planning in September and get the dates nailed down. So, like right now, we’re planning for events that are going to be happening in the spring semester. They’re not completed yet, but we’ll get them finalized. We’re trying to do it by the end of this month, so we don’t have to worry about it when it comes time for Christmastime and holiday and vacation.
Quotes are lightly edited for clarity.