With four kids, one husband, and multiple pets, including 17 fish all named Dominic (it was 18, but one of the Dominics swam on to fishy heaven), and a full-time job, Heather Nepa is one busy woman.
But this 51ԹϺ alumna and first-place recipient of the President’s Classified Employee of the Year Award for 2022 took time to tell us about her 51ԹϺ career, her higher education experience, and her life.
Tell us about your job at 51ԹϺ.
I am an admin III in anthropology. Mostly my job is student-focused, building the schedule, helping the grad coordinator with applications, and handling paperwork. We have faculty retiring and, as a result, doing searches online for new faculty was a big task this year. Facilitating all of that was a lot of work, but it was a great experience.
I’ve been at 51ԹϺ since 2013. I originally was in the history department. I transferred to anthropology in 2019.
Why 51ԹϺ?
My dad, Jim Ratigan, is a grad of 51ԹϺ (’78 BS Business Administration). He was heavily involved in the Alumni Association. 51ԹϺ just has kind of been in my blood since the beginning. I remember being 8 and my dad taking me to all the home basketball games. That was the year they won the national championship. I will be a diehard Runnin’ Rebels fan until the end of my days.
When I was graduating from Bonanza High School, my dad told me I had three choices for college — 51ԹϺ, 51ԹϺ, and 51ԹϺ.
I graduated from 51ԹϺ in 2004 with a BA in history. Now I am using the grant-in-aid benefit to get another degree. Fingers crossed, I will graduate with an Executive MBA in December 2023.
When I was looking to rejoin the workforce, I thought working at 51ԹϺ would be perfect. I’ve really found that I have a passion for helping other students. I think everybody deserves to have a good college experience.
How do you feel about being recognized as the Classified Employee of the Year?
I am so honored and so shocked. I burst into tears when they said my name. I am so thankful that I got recognized for doing something that I love. I was just doing my job and doing what I think is the right thing. It’s mind-blowing. I don’t think I really have realized it yet.
Advice to employees new to 51ԹϺ
The first tip would be: Try to grow your network as big as possible. Meet people. Give them a call. That has been one of the most valuable tools in my toolkit.
These people who work in other departments are so valuable. Those connections are what will help you be successful.
What was the first job you ever had and what did you learn from it?
That was working for my Uncle Kenny who had a catering company. He used to take his food truck out to the Speedway. This was before food trucks were a big deal.
I was like 13. People would purposely try to give me big bills, hoping I would make a mistake, but I learned how to count back money. I also learned customer service and how to handle high-pressure situations.
What do you like to do outside of work?
I love to read. I love to spend time with my kids. My husband, Fred, and I have four children: Sienna, 15. Sean, 13, Dominic 6, and Donovan, 4. There’s a lot of baseball in my life. I love animals, all animals. We have two dogs, two tortoises, and a whole tankful of fish. Dominic wanted the fish. He got about 18 fish and he decided he wanted to name them all Dominic, so we have Dominic 1, Dominic 2…
What is something people would be surprised to learn about you?
At work I come off as very extroverted, but I am a homebody. I love my friends and family, but I very much need my own “Heather” time to kind of recharge.
Where will you be in 20 years?
I really, really want to make a difference. I would love to be a difference-maker at 51ԹϺ I would love to be a voice for undergraduates and graduate students and get things put into place. If not at 51ԹϺ, I just would like to be a difference-maker in general. And hopefully be retired.
Finish this sentence. I can’t work without…
Dunkin’ Donuts coffee. I have my Dunkin’ Donuts coffee every morning. I have narrowed myself down to two cups a day.
Do you have a TV show, movie, or book to recommend?
I’m very into , but that is not everybody’s cup of tea.
Probably one of the most influential books I have ever read is by Ayn Rand. It completely changed my life and got me to think in different ways.
If you could choose your last meal, what would it be?
Because I have food allergies I would go for a thick slice of thick-crust pizza with all the cheese, not the gluten-free ones I have to have now, with a Diet Coke. If it’s my last meal, I am going to go for it.
What was your best day on campus?
I think it was a day spent with (history professor) Dr. (Elizabeth) Nelson. She had set up an old-school baseball game with rules from the 1800s. The rules weren’t close to the same as they are today. It was awesome to watch her and some of the history grad students play. That was a fun, great day.
What the People Nominating Her Had to Say
Esther Williams, office manager and AA IV, and Daniel Benyshek, professor and chair, anthropology department:
Heather is a proud and engaged 51ԹϺ Rebel alumna and employee, whose professionalism, exceptional quality of work, cheerful collegiality, and can-do initiative and helpfulness, have made her a cherished employee to anthropology faculty, staff, and students alike. Heather’s commitment to the department — its mission and its people — is especially evident in her desire to help others, be they faculty, staff, or students.
As several department faculty and staff have dealt with serious medical issues over the last several years, Heather was always the first to volunteer to assist with or complete work tasks, provide transportation, or deliver food to those in need. While not required, she has also volunteered to sit on various department committees as a non-voting member, if only to improve the work flow and efficiency of the committee’s efforts — whether that is by helping shepherd extensive curriculum changes through the college and university approval process, or helping faculty navigate complex classroom technology issues for ‘hybrid’ department colloquia. Suffice it to say, Heather always goes the extra mile.
