Communications Lab welcomes new faces

Lydia Rucker, Nick Webb and Marijah Adams are three of the Communications Lab new employees. Not pictured: Brandon Isaak, Greg Horton and Anh Nguyen.
Photo by Carrie Cronk

By Amanda Black, News Writing Student

Six new employees have joined the OCCC Communications Lab.

“We’ve gotten so busy now that I finally went and talked to the right people about a good use of college money,” said Communications Lab Supervisor Mindie Dieu.

From the 13,000 OCCC students, the lab gets around 16,000 visits per year.

“Ideally I should have someone for everyone who walks in.”

Dieu said the Communications Lab is about students perfecting their communicating skills through tutoring.

Of the new employees, two are permanent full-time: Brandon Isaak and Nick Webb. 

“There are a limited amount of writing labs in the state and I love writing,” Isaak said. “… I knew Mindie as a personal friend and she helped me out.”

He said his favorite thing about the communications lab is “explaining rules to students and seeing their eyes light up when they understand.”

The other four new employees are part-time workers Anh Nguyen and Lydia Rucker, both OCCC students, Greg Horton, an adjunct English professor, and Marijah Adams.

Nguyen was one of Dieu’s English students and was offered the job this year.

“The lab is relaxing and is a very comfortable environment,” Nguyen said.

Dieu said she has high hopes for the lab.

“We read 1,450 essays last semester, progressing from the previous semester and, with the help of the new employees, I hope to raise the number even more this year,” Dieu said.

Dieu said her goal is for the Communications Lab to be “the most student friendly resource on campus.” OCCC student Ingrid Anderson is known by all the lab employees because she frequently visits.

“I come in almost everyday,” Anderson said. “… It is a very friendly environment and everyone is so helpful.”