Bluffton University Bookstore Manager Janine Paul (left) has been working at Bluffton University since 1989. Photo by Alyssa Eby
Bluffton University students interact with professors on a daily basis, and they regularly spot of President James Harder, yet the majority of students aren’t aware of the important staff behind the scenes who keep the campus running. From Admissions to the bookstore and Buildings and Grounds, this campus would not be able to function without many key individuals. It’s possible to attend Bluffton for all four years and never interact with some of these friendly, approachable people who have served this campus and community in ways that embody the university’s enduring values of discovery, community, respect and service. This is the first in a series of profiles on some of Bluffton University’s unsung heroes.
By Alyssa Eby
Janine Paul has been working at Bluffton since 1989.
She was originally hired to work part time in Bluffton’s print shop. Paul now works full time on campus, spending one-fourth of her time in the print shop, and the other three-fourths is spent managing the Bluffton University Bookstore.
Paul grew up in Bluffton and graduated from Bluffton College. After getting married and moving to Dayton, her husband took a job in Lima, bringing them back to Bluffton. She was in search of a job in the area and applied for a job in the print shop. Since then, her job has evolved into a management position.
Paul greets every friend and stranger with a kind and gentle smile, and she says the people of Bluffton are her favorite part of working at Bluffton University.
“I enjoy spending time with other people that work on campus and with the students,” said Paul.
With countless students in and out of the bookstore on a daily basis, Paul makes her goal to provide a helpful and friendly environment for everyone.
The Bluffton University core value Paul most resonates with is service.
“I think it is a very valuable experience for students to take cross-cultural and service-related trips,” Paul said. “I have always personally enjoyed traveling and it is so valuable to visit other cultures and see what people in other places experience that is different from the things that you know and are comfortable with.”
Paul said she appreciates the ability for these experiences to broaden a person’s perspective and help individuals become more understanding and tolerant of those who are different from them.
Read about other unsung heroes of Bluffton University featured in this series:
