By Kirsten Mahon/tr news editor
TR students have a go-to guy.
His name is Eddie Brassart. A picture of his smiling face with the thumbs-up sign hangs on the door of TR’s student life center.
The young campus’ population has steadily increased since its opening nearly three years ago. TR’s hallmarks indicate an emphasis on student engagement, making club life and extracurricular activities a driving force behind student success. Brassart has the information about all TR clubs and student-organized events on campus. He also serves as the main faculty liaison with the student government association.
Before Brassart became TR student development associate, he originally studied to be a graphic designer. He attended school at Texas Christian University and fell in love with the college atmosphere.
After a few years in the graphic design industry, Brassart began to re-evaluate his life. He was unhappy with his job, stuck in a cubicle, staring at a dead computer, fixing and re-fixing tiny details in graphic work done by other people.
“I was in a box,” he said. “Just silent.”
Brassart figured his artwork wasn’t going to make him the kind of money he needed to have a family and his own life.
“I needed to change it up a little bit,” he said.
Unhappy and bored to tears, Brassart walked away from his job and began searching for a lively fresh start. He began a master’s program online in higher education.
“At that time, I was trying to figure out what it is I wanted to do,” he said. “I know it sounds kinda funny, but I loved my time in college, and I would’ve gone back in a second.”
Once he was accepted into the master’s program, he began working on South Campus as a part-time student development coordinator, helping high school students get a head start in college.
On his 30th birthday, Brassart began working on TR.
“That’s easy,” Brassart said, describing what he loved most about TCC. “It’s students. Everybody says students, but it’s true. Dealing with students, it keeps things interesting.”
Over a constantly ringing phone, Brassart describes the busy atmosphere of TR Campus. He works directly with clubs and organizations, providing them with the connections to administration, organizing events where students are the focus, serving their needs as engaged collegiates.
“The students keep it new and interesting for me, so I don’t feel like I’m just sitting all day,” he said.
TR administrative assistant Sheila Gonzales previously worked side by side with Brassart before her department switch at the end of the fall semester.
“He doesn’t mind getting his hands dirty,” she said. “He’s very approachable on any level.”
Connor Moyer, president of TR’s College Helping Each Student Succeed (CHESS) club, said working with Brassart as a club leader can be difficult because he’s so busy.
Moyer is currently trying to write his club’s constitution and needs Brassart’s input and approval.
“But when he’s not working on any kind of work, he’s very attentive to the students talking to him,” Moyer said.
Students hang out in his office, which is located a few hundred feet from the Riverfront Café. At any time of the day, his room bustles with chatting club members and visiting students, faculty and staff members. The large white dry-erase board normally has a calendar of club meetings and events as well as the issues facing TR’s student government association. These social butterflies eat lunch, play video games on their computers and study between classes and events.
“He can relate,” Gonzales said. “There’re no barriers, not even age.”
Sometimes, it can be difficult for students to reach out to their instructors if they need to, she said. With Brassart, it doesn’t seem to be as difficult because students appreciate his honesty.
“His open door policy matches his personality,” Gonzales said. “I just can’t say enough about him.”