Stark Campus employee celebrates 42 years on job

Becky Smith

An original Stark campus staff member celebrated her 42 years of service Friday.

Linda Harsh, Stark campus admissions specialist, was honored by the campus community at the Pro Football Hall of Fame Balloon Classic Invitational.

Harsh started at the Stark campus at the age of 16 as a student worker in the admissions department. When she graduated high school she wanted to be a teacher, but financial troubles prevented her from attending college, so she chose the secretarial route and stayed at the Stark campus.

Harsh said a lot has changed in her 42 years at the Stark campus.

“In the time I’ve been here, one of the biggest challenges I have faced is learning new technologies,” Harsh said.

Harsh and her colleagues went from carbon paper and electronic typewriters to computers.

But these new technologies didn’t stop Harsh from working hard.

Mary Southards, assistant dean of enrollment management for the Stark campus, said that over the years she has known Harsh, she never saw her resist change.

“To me, she is just amazing,” Southards said. “She steps up and says, ‘OK, tell me what I need to do.’ Some people are hesitant to change, but Linda has never been that way.”

Harsh said the campus itself has kept her at there for so long.

“I enjoy being in the college atmosphere,” she said. “When you’re with young people it helps you keep a fresh outlook on life.”

While she has no plans to retire any time soon, Harsh advises those who desire longevity at their jobs to have a positive attitude toward everything.

“Look for the good things you see each day in your workplace,” she said. “You can still find satisfaction and fulfillment in the place where you are. You just have to have the right attitude.”

Contact international affairs and regional campuses reporter Becky Smith at [email protected].