A conversation with Conference Services Event Specialist Rebecca Mauricio
Q: What do you really do at CLS?
A: As an Event Specialist with Conference Services, I confirm and organize events that are held at the Mission Bay Conference Center and the Millberry Union Conference Center. This means that I spend a lot of my day emailing and communicating with the event hosts to confirm requested dates and create room layouts that will best accommodate the needs of their events.
Q: How long have you worked at UCSF?
A: I have been working at UCSF for about 4.5 months now. I began my work experience at UCSF in May of this year working a temporary position as a Summer Assistant with Housing Facilities. I liked the atmosphere and community that UCSF provides so much that I applied for the Event Specialist position with Conference Services so that I could continue working at UCSF permanently.
Q: What is your favorite part of the job?
A: My favorite part of my job has been learning to create the room layouts for our clients. My co-workers are so talented and experienced in this role that I am always turning to them to learn all of the layout possibilities we can provide for each conference space.
Q: What advice would you give to someone just starting out at UCSF?
A: I would recommend that anyone starting out at UCSF should focus on making connections with other employees. There are so many interesting people at UCSF as well as a variety of career paths for an individual to pursue, that it is really valuable to meet people from as many different departments as possible. I'm a rather shy person by nature, but I do like to attend the events held by Arts & Events. Attending a Paint Nite or Trivia Night has been a great way for me to get to know other UCSF employees while also staying in my comfort zone.
Q: What did you do before coming to UCSF or CLS?
A: Before coming to UCSF, I worked in early education at the Bright Horizons at Laurel Heights. This particular preschool provides child care for UCSF employees, so I knew a lot of UCSF employees before I became one myself!
Q: Where'd you grow up?
A: I was born and raised in San Francisco. I've never moved out of the city!
Q: What do you do for yourself when you're not working?
A: I love to hike and read in my spare time! One of my favorite Bay Area hiking spots is Purisima Creek Preserve near Half Moon Bay. Between the rushing creek and the towering redwoods, Purisima is one of the most beautiful hiking locations I have found in the Bay Area. As for book preferences, I really like to read humorous, short stories about people's lives, so I gravitate toward authors such as David Sedaris, Jenny Lawson, and Allie Brosh. However, most recently, I have been reading fantasy novels by Sarah J. Maas and Rebecca Yarros, with "Fourth Wing" being my current favorite book from this genre.