From Housekeeping to Research

Staff Member Reflects On 40 Years At Uvm

STAFF | It was 1983 when then-20-year-old Lynn Willette began working as a housekeeper for Residential Life at UVM. Ronald Reagan was president; Sally Ride became the first American woman to go into space that year; and a gallon of gas cost $1.24.

A lot has changed since then, for Willette and for UVM.

“It seems like I started here yesterday— but then again, on some days it feels more like 100 years,” said Willette of her four decades working at UVM. Those early days as a housekeeper turned into seven years, until a new job opened in UVM’s glassware facility (now long closed). “I went from cleaning up after students to cleaning test tubes and glassware used in the laboratories,” a job she kept for 10 years before her career took yet another turn.

“I feel that I lucked out,” says Willette of her next opportunity, working as a research assistant in microbiology and molecular genetics. Her reputation for hard work and thoroughness played a role in getting the job. And her reputation for excellence earned her the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) Excellence in Staff Support Award at the height of the pandemic in 2020. The award recognizes exceptional work in the eyes of the recipient’s colleagues, supervisors, and people they serve.

Her positive attitude is evident in the enthusiasm she demonstrates for her work. “I love my job,” Willette says—a good thing given the fact that she has done it for over half of her 40 years at UVM. “Every day is different and that’s what I really like about it.”

That’s not to say there haven’t difficult times, too. Two years ago, she suffered a medical event that kept her out of work for three months. She recovered and is doing well now, but the time away from her work remains fresh in her mind. “Between my sick time and benefits, I was able to heal, but I missed it,” she said. According to Willette, the university’s support, in terms of sick leave and time off policies, made a real difference in her recovery and return to work. “I was ready to come back,” she says.

On any given day, Willette can be found in Stafford Hall ordering materials, prepping cultures, and decontaminating tools for the 350 students taking labs. It’s mostly behind-the-scenes work, but she enjoys the variety of tasks she performs. “You have to be respectful of what you’re working with and use common sense, but it’s a fun job,” she said, adding that she especially likes it when students take the time to say hello and thank her for preparing materials for them to use in the lab.

Forty years in the same workplace is astonishing, even for Willette—who sees younger generations changing jobs “it seems like every six, nine or 12 months these days.” For her, longevity is important and there is a reason she has stayed at UVM for four decades.

“I was able to advance throughout the years, and it’s one of the things I like about UVM,” she said. “There’s opportunity.”