A love of art follows Jackie Garcia, ’21 BA Art, around. While a student in UNLV’s College of Fine Arts, she explored drawing, painting, printmaking, and film. Nowadays, she’s an avid supporter of the popular K-pop group BTS and enjoys creating unique latte art.

After graduating from UNLV, Garcia took on the position of administrative assistant III in Lee Business School’s Department of Accounting. The role includes tasks such as purchasing, assisting faculty, organizing events, answering students’ questions, and managing social media.

Her work has not gone unnoticed. She is the recipient of the 2023 President’s Classified Employee — Rookie of the Year award.

“I cannot say enough about how much Jackie has contributed to and improved the Department of Accounting in the short period of time she has worked with us,” said Garcia’s supervisor and department chair, Jason L. Smith. “She is efficient, detail-oriented, and clearly takes a lot of pride in her work.”

Garcia’s colleagues praised her quick response as the events of Dec. 6 unfolded within Beam Hall. “She showed immense courage and quick thinking by closing and locking the main office door, hiding under her desk, and immediately calling 911,” said Smith. “Her call was one of the first (if not the very first) calls made to the police. Her quick actions that day likely saved lives.”

Despite this year's challenges, Garcia said she’s glad she chose UNLV and had advice to share for other new employees: “Don’t be afraid to ask questions. There’s a lot to learn, and the best way to do that is by asking questions!” said Garcia. “UNLV also provides a lot of training sessions, so it’s good to sign up to as many as you can, especially when you’ve just started.”

How did you come to work at UNLV?

I was born and raised in Las Vegas. After graduating in December 2021, I began looking for a more stable position as I was working part-time jobs while finishing my degree. I had worked as a part-time secretary the majority of the time, so I began searching for jobs that matched my work experience, and I was recommended to apply to the administrative assistant position that had just opened up in the Department of Accounting.

UNLV felt very familiar to me, so I thought it would be nice to work here, and I applied. After a few weeks, I thought perhaps the position went to someone else, so I almost accepted a position at a car dealership, but I received an email from the department chair asking me to interview and got the position not too long after.

How do you feel about being recognized as a Classified Employee of the Year?

I greatly appreciate those who nominated me. I’m very happy to help my department in any way that I can, so I’m glad my work has been well received.

What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

I like making latte art! It’s fun trying new designs every morning. I enjoy going to the movie theaters as often as I can; I have a movie ticket stub collection that I’ve been adding to since 2009. I’ve also been a fan of the group BTS for [since 2014] so I’m always listening to their music and watching their shows. Their music and words have helped me immensely!

So, you’re a BTS ARMY. Who’s your bias? Do you have a favorite song?

Of course I'm OT7 all the way! But, my bias is Taehyung! I like that he has a giant heart, and he wears it on his sleeve. He's true to himself, and I relate a lot to his music taste!

It's hard to pick a favorite, but I would say "Like" and "2! 3!" are among my favorite songs.

What’s something people would be surprised to learn about you?

I’ve been to four BTS concerts within the last three years and, for two of them, I traveled out of state all on my own just to see them. I am very much a homebody and a routine kind of person. I think most people can see that about me. But I am at my happiest when I get to see them perform, so I gain the courage to step out of my routine. I typically go to these concerts by myself, but I always have fun singing along and meeting fellow fans.

Do you have a morning routine to start off your work day?

First thing for me is to start up my computer and open the websites I use most often throughout the day: email, Workday, and Trello. I always have these tabs open. It’s important for me to see any incoming requests or tasks I need to get done. Next, I look through any voicemails I may need to respond to. And lastly, I look over my notepad to see any notes I left for myself.

If this award came with a $50,000 bonus, where would you travel?

It’s hard to pick a specific place I’d want to travel to, but I know I’d want to travel with my sisters and parents, so I’d probably have us all vote and we’d decide like that. I have always wanted to go to the Smithsonian Museum, so that would be my vote. The rest of the money, I’d probably save to help with various things my parents’ need or my younger sisters’ education.

The last favorite show you watched?

I recently rewatched Avatar: The Last Airbender, the original animated series. It’s a show I enjoy rewatching. It’s just as good compared to when I watched it as a child when it first aired on TV. It’s funny, the characters are well-written, there’s great world building, and it has a lot of heart! It’s on my list of 10/10 shows.

What do you enjoy about living in Las Vegas?

The majority of my close relatives live here, so it’s nice to be able to see them often.

The most memorable moments in your time at UNLV?

For me, perhaps it would be better to refer to it as a period of time rather than just a moment. After Dec. 6, when BEH opened back up [for those who wanted to work there], I decided to come back the first day just to see how comfortable I felt. I ended up coming into the office every day after that. It was pretty quiet the first couple of weeks as faculty members and staff were coming back at their own pace, which I understood. The hallway felt empty. But slowly, more and more faculty members and staff started coming back. It was nice seeing everyone again.

Any inspirational quotes that have significant meaning for you?

“Those who don’t have a dream, it’s OK, it’s OK if you don’t have a dream. You just have to be happy.” — Min Yoongi

I think, like many soon-to-be graduates, I was very anxious to graduate. I felt that I had no “real” goal or dream I wanted to pursue; I felt very behind compared to my peers. I think we have this idea that we need to have our whole career planned in our 20s, and if we aren’t actively working toward it, we’ve already failed.

This quote reminds me that my No. 1 goal should be to be happy. If you’re not happy, finding your passion in life or finding a job you love will be even harder. It’s OK to make being happy your goal at the moment because once you are happy, new goals and dreams will follow soon after.

If you were to overhear coworkers talking about you (in a positive light, of course!), what would you love to hear them say about you?

I would like to hear that I’m helpful and kind since that’s what I’m trying to be when I work!