{"105411":{"#nid":"105411","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Life as a Georgia Tech Parent and Employee - A Wonderful Conundrum","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EMark Demyanek\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAVP, Environmental Health \u0026amp; Safety\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELife as the parent of a Georgia Tech freshman student, and as an employee who also happens to be an alumnus, is a wonderful conundrum...It is a very comforting feeling knowing that while I spend my time working here on campus, somewhere within these same boundaries my son is enjoying life as a Georgia Tech student. It is quite a unique situation for a parent to enjoy this close proximity, while at the same time fight off the urge to check-in with him and keep an eye on what he\u0027s up to. His mother and I have never been overbearing, and we realize this is his time to develop as an independent adult and chart his own life course. However, I want to help, because of all the things I know this great Institution offers. Also, since I am out on campus a lot, I must admit it is tempting to pop-in for a surprise dorm or classroom visit. I haven\u0027t done that yet, and I\u0027m sure I won\u0027t. I don\u0027t think my son\u0027s enthusiasm level would match mine. However, it\u0027s nice to know that I could do it if I wanted or needed to.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe thing I have relished the most about working on the same campus where my son is a student are our occasional lunches. Once every couple of weeks or so, I am able to pin him down and we spend some quality time at a local eatery - sometimes on campus and sometimes off. This is my chance to get downloaded on his life - classes, fraternity, relationships, stresses, etc. Like most parents, my wife and I can never be sure if or when our calls or text messages will be answered. I think one of the things that my son enjoys the most about me working on the same campus is the fact that he has a \u0022quick link\u0022 to home - if he needs it. He hasn\u0027t played this card very often, but there have been a few occasions where he needed a tie, his slack-line, or a sleeping bag - and I know he was glad to be able to take advantage of the situation.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EProbably the most enjoyment that my wife and I have had with this circumstance is coming to all the Yellow Jacket football games and being able to tailgate and visit with our son - before he has to run off, in his shirt and tie, to join his fraternity pledge brothers. Before this year, we were not able to come to many of the games because our younger son was involved in sports activities most Saturdays. However, we are now past that stage, and our investment in Georgia Tech football season tickets has been fantastic for our family. It\u0027s one of the best ways to stay connected with our son\/student, and the Jackets are looking great! We really look forward to home-game Saturdays.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo far, it is going great. Let\u0027s just make it through finals - and keep HOPE alive!\n\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"Life as the parent of a Georgia Tech freshman student, and as an employee who also happens to be an alumnus, is a wonderful conundrum...It is a very comforting feeling knowing that while I spend my time working here on campus, somewhere within these same boundaries my son is enjoying life as a Georgia Tech student. What creates this situation is enjoying his close proximity, while at the same time fighting off the urge to want to always check-in with him and keep an eye on what he\u0027s up to.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A Tech employee shares his experience as a GT parent."}],"uid":"27164","created_gmt":"2008-12-01 01:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:11:37","author":"Rachael Pocklington","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2008-12-01T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2008-12-01T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"groups":[{"id":"1298","name":"Parent and Family Programs"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"171171","name":"student perspective"},{"id":"1782","name":"top 10 things"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cstrong\u003ERachael Pocklington\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EParents Program\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/contact\/index.html?id=rpocklington3\u0022\u003EContact Rachael Pocklington\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404-385-3920\u003C\/strong\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["rachael.pocklington@vpss.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}