Margaret knows
how to brighten Emmons Hall
by
Lisa Ermak
Waking up for an 8 o’ clock and trudging down
the hallway to the bathroom is always a struggle, especially on a Monday.
But having a smiling face at the bathroom doors bidding you a good
morning will brighten you day.
Lansing native Margaret Poirier has been working full time at MSU for six years
as a service worker, currently cleaning Emmons Hall while bringing smiles to
many faces.
Poirier cleans the bathrooms, vacuums the hallways and generally makes sure
everything is running smoothly in the residence hall. Her friendly flair is
evident from her cleaning supply cart covered in wallpaper
to the seasonal decorations she puts up in the bathroom. And residents agree
that she’s a lot of fun
to have around.
“Margaret is a really nice lady. She always has music playing in the bathroom
which is a lot of fun,” freshman Kaitlin Koperski said.
Poirier has established herself
as more than just an employee. She’s also a mentor to the girls on the
floor. According to freshman Lauren Alexander, Poirier lets her experience as
a mother of three kids surface while she’s working. “She may
not know your name but she’s friendly to everyone she sees
and is really motherly,” said Alexander.
Poirier enjoys working with teenage girls and doesn’t really
consider it a job, but more as just part of her daily routine.
“I had a home daycare for like 17 years so I’ve always had kids around
me. I see this as an extension of what I did for a long time, which was take
care of kids. You guys are just like big kids to me,” Poirier said.
Not many people would be able to deal with grumpy teenage girls on Monday mornings,
but Poirier is an exception. The way that she’s able to work with students
on a personal level is valued and her happiness is definitely contagious.
“I think she really enjoys her job because she enjoys seeing all of us,” Alexander
said.
Maureen
Poirier brings her experience raising three children to mentoring
students at Emmons Hall.