Faculty and Staff Life During COVID-19

Over the past year, the college has focused a great deal on how student life has changed due to COVID-19. In doing so, a big part of the college has been neglected: Our faculty and staff.

They are important because they run the online classes and help students get through this very difficult time. Let’s take a look at how COVID-19 has affected their lives.

Nathan Chang, an English teacher here at Green River, misses interaction with his students.

“While I do enjoy not having to commute, I find I miss class discussions (canvas discussions just aren’t the same) and getting to know students face to face,” said Chang, who joined the faculty in the fall of 2015 and teaches English 128.

For some staff members, working from home has enabled them to develop a closer relationship with their family.

“I honestly thought it would be harder than what it is,” said Juliett “Dennise” Bolinger, an HR consultant assistant with three kids aged 11, 12 and 13.

“We have actually become a closer family unit than before. We have learned to openly communicate better. My youngest has processing issues, so it helped that I was home more often, and that dad was home at night.

“He (youngest) has become more affectionate and instead of pushing us away, he now comes to us for hugs before bedtime each night. That was a nice and pleasant change.”

For Sandra Gonzales, a library page at Green River, had it not been for COVID-19, she wouldn’t have a job at the college. She works part-time at King County Library System and often volunteers at the other libraries in the system.

COVID-19, however, made this a bit difficult, so she looked elsewhere and that brought her to Green River College as a library page.

Natalie Barbero-Menchaca is a new program manager for the college’s Disability Support Service. She currently lives with her daughter and granddaughter and life has been a bit different for her.

“While trying to work, it has been fine because baby goes to daycare. But, right now she has a cold so that has been a little crazy. I did a student interview with baby in my hands and she fell asleep. But the nice thing is that people are very compassionate about that.”

Everyone is at home and everyone has different situations at home, and everyone knows that. While it has certainly been difficult, and the faculty want things to go back to normal as much as students do, there have been positives. Families have been brought closer together and the faculty of this school are working as hard as possible to make this work for everyone