By: Autumn Burkholder | Guest Contributor
University of Lynchburg mailroom. Credit: University of Lynchburg
The University of Lynchburg mailroom handles roughly 100 packages a day, and much of that work falls to one man.
Terry Hudson, Mail Services Specialist, has been a part of the university’s staff for more than 30 years. He knows the campus not just by its buildings, but by the names of nearly every staff member and student moving inside them.
While most students only see a package notification in their email, Hudson’s work begins long before that, whether he is navigating packages, federal regulations, or campus life.
“His experience and his wisdom is needed,” Carmen Dodson, one of the mail clerks on campus, said.
Recently, under Hudson’s leadership, the mailroom has evolved from a costly service center into a revenue-generating workplace that handles everything from notary services to passport photos for both students and staff.
“It’s more detailed than what people realize,” Destin Tanner, retail and licensing manager, said. “We use three mail carriers: USPS, FedEx, and UPS, and we have to go to the main post office to pick up our mail because we are such a large organization.”
Beyond the sorting and stamps, Hudson is more than just a supervisor to the student employees working alongside him; he is also a mentor and support system.
“He’s probably one of the most friendly people I’ve ever met,” Ben Rowlands, a member of Hudson’s staff said. “He’s already offered to give me a reference for my masters when I go home, and he always says: if you make a mistake, just move on.”
It can be easy to underestimate the work that goes into the mailroom, but for Terry Hudson, it’s more than just a job; it’s a way to touch lives.
For more information about mail services at the University of Lynchburg, visit their website.
