By Valarie Zayszly
CCC Journalism Program
CAMDEN – Eileen Watson, a customer service specialist at Camden County College, started working with the school in the beginning of 1990 in the building where Leap Academy once was. She began working during the time when the air conditioning was not yet installed on the first floor.
Watson says that at first, her duties kept ranging from one thing to another. She worked with security in the office and also worked for testing and assessment, but is now on the second floor of the technology building in the computer lab. She moved over to the technology building seven years ago in early June.
As to what made her stay so many years, Watson says, “Being able to interact with people. Everyone has a different story to tell and a different determination. You get to know their children, and even their children’s children.”
Like most teachers, Watson has accomplished many things throughout the years and is looking forward to plans for her future, but there’s one thing in particular she is most excited about, retiring.
“I’m beginning to feel the wear and tear,” says Watson, “In all honesty, after my retirement I want to spend my time working in my church. There’s a lot to be done there, it’s such a historic place.”
She plans on retiring in the next two or three years and would like to work three days a week doing tours in her church in Philadelphia. Watson is also looking forward to spending time with her two grandchildren, who will soon be graduating from college. Her grandson, who will graduate from Fairleigh Dickinson University, will be finishing up in 2011 and her granddaughter will later be graduating from Rowan University.
Watson is looking forward to an abundance of events, but the time to herself is what she’ll be most pleased about. She says she will also be able to visit her mother, who lives in New York, more.
Eileen Watson works at her desk in the computer lab of the technology building. By Valarie Zayszly, CCC Journalism Program