Mary Eberhard
Mary Eberhard
Coordinator for Campus Reservations – Tate Student Center
[At the time of her interview:]
Mary Eberhard works in the Dean of Students Business Office as a Senior Accountant/Ticket Manager and has lived in Athens and the state of Georgia for most of her life. Growing up, her father was a professor in the College of Journalism and Mass Communication and still teaches a First Year Odyssey course whenever he can. When asked what it was like to grow up in Athens, she said,“Who doesn’t love Athens? It’s wonderful to see how much the town is impacted by the hard work of the students.”
It wasn’t hard for Mary to consider her favorite thing about working at UGA in UGA Student Affairs. “I think my favorite thing about working here, besides the students, is that everyone is willing to help each other. The support you get from other staff is incredible.” She added, “I love how there always seems to be some sort of connection [between staff]. Kinda like the Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon…sometimes it’s being born from the same town or knowing someone’s college friends; there’s a nice family-connection feeling among staff that adds to all of us being Bulldogs together.”
Mary’s contagious optimism led to her nominator writing:
Mary greets each person with a smile and helps all folks--students and staff alike--the best way she knows how. I enjoy the interactions I have with her and the knowledge she's given to me throughout the years. She's been a great support for my staff and student leaders.
Mary has always had a passion for sports and athletics. Before coming to UGA, she worked for the Atlanta Braves during their World Series run and was on staff during the 1996 the Olympics in Atlanta. One of her favorite memories was being a part of the Braves staff when the first game after September 11th took place. “It was incredible to see how much the country rallied around one another in the moment of such immense tragedy.” While being a part of monumental aspects of Georgia sports history brings a smile to Mary’s face, nothing compares to what she calls her “Mom Moments.” Getting to see her son be a part of Dawg Walk and win Jr. Homecoming King or taking him to ring the Chapel Bell after big victories in the 2017 football season are the top mom moments of the year (so far). “My son was waiting in line with us [to ring the Chapel Bell] and an alumnus was in line behind us. He told us how thrilled he was to get to share this opportunity with our family and all the Bulldogs in line. He had waited years and years since he was in undergraduate to ring the Bell again and felt like this moment was the right time. He said, ‘Im jealous. I wish I got to do something like this when I was your age! I had to wait until I was way older!’ It meant the world to my son to be able to experience that and in turn meant the world to me.”
Favorite Spot on Campus: The patio outside of the 3rd floor of the Tate Student Center, a location some staff affectionately call “The Resort.” “It’s a great spot to read a book, get a little sunshine, and still be in the thick of everything,” Mary said.
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