1. Laura Smith (U of W) 

2. George Toles 

3. Emma Alexander-Mudaliar (U of W) / Gord Beveridge (U of W) / Roewan Crowe (U of W) / Kent Davies (U of W) / Vesna Milosevic (U of W) 

 

Chances are Laura Smith was one of the first people to welcome you to the University of Winnipeg. 

Smith, voted the favourite university staff person, is an office assistant in the admissions department at the U of W. She’s been working here for under a year and a half after coming back from England. 

Originally from Winnipeg, Smith graduated from the University of Manitoba, then continued on with a master’s degree in art history at the Courtauld Institute of Art in London, England. 

Most of her work includes helping new students get through the admissions process at the university. 

“I really like meeting prospective students, but I also enjoy working with my co-workers, it’s a really nice group of people that I work with,” Smith says. “I really like the community here.” 

As a former student herself and as an admissions department assistant, Smith has experienced university life to its fullest. She thinks students should also enjoy it as much as they can. 

“I think that a student’s time in university is probably one of the most important and exciting times of their entire lives. I really enjoyed being a student and that’s one of the reasons that I want to continue to work at the university,” Smith says. 

“I think that at that time you get to discover a lot, you get to fill your mind with new ideas. I think it’s a wonderful time, so I’d just say try not to be too stressed by all the deadlines and really enjoy it.” 

While she works hard helping new students get used to the university community, Smith didn’t expect students would vote her as their favourite university staff this year. 

“It’s very flattering. I was very surprised. I work behind the scenes, so I wasn’t really expecting to be recognized.”

Published in Volume 70, Number 13 of The Uniter (December 3, 2015)