Meet Sidney Carranco, a UTRGV Unsung Hero
Text by Amanda A. Taylor-Uchoa
Sidney Carranco, program specialist within the UTRGV Center for Student Involvement on the Edinburg Campus, provides assistance and guidance to all student organizations. Her duties include facilitating organizations that want to host events on campus and providing support by making sure everything runs as smoothly as possible.
She has only worked at UTRGV for a year, but she was a student employee for nine months in 2021, Her favorite part of the job, she says, is being able to help students because it reminds her of her time as a student, when she was going through the same processes.
“My favorite part of my job is all the students that I get to meet and assist,” she says. “I was a student not so long ago, so I closely remember what it’s like to hope that someone could help me, and with a positive attitude.”
WHAT IS YOUR ROLE AT UTRGV?
I provide assistance and guidance to all student organizations that want to host events on campus, as well as administrative support to the CSI office by helping the office’s many moving parts function.
HOW LONG HAVE YOU WORKED HERE?
I worked here as a student employee for about nine months in 2021 and full time for almost a year.
DESCRIBE YOUR AVERAGE DAY:
My average day consists of overseeing the event reservations process for student organizations that have submitted event requests to our office. Many students come in and ask questions like, “What would be the best items to sell at a fundraiser?” Or, “Would this be allowed on campus?” I try to assist as best as I can. I also work on different office operations, like responding to student emails asking about information from our office, planning some sort of training for the CSI office student employees, and overall trying to give the office a better environment.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PART OF YOUR JOB?
All the students I get to meet and help! I was a student not so long ago, so I closely remember what it’s like to hope that someone could help me, and with a positive attitude!
DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE MEMORY, OR STORY, ABOUT YOUR TIME HERE?
One of my favorite memories is when I was taken out to eat by my supervisors for Administrative Professionals Day, along with other supervisors and admins. The restaurant workers came out with music and funny hats for everyone to wear while they sang us happy birthday. It was a fun experience, and we had great food!
TELL US SOMETHING MOST PEOPLE DON’T KNOW ABOUT YOU:
I won a national poetry writing contest in high school that offered to put my poem in a book that would be published and with only 100 national winners. But I only told my family about it once the deadline to put the poem in had passed. I didn’t think it was a big deal at the time.
WHAT IS YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE UTRGV COMMUNITY?
I am a bridge between UTRGV student organizations, student employees and full-time staff members when it comes to event planning and understanding the processes that I oversee. I am happy to be someone who can guide these individuals in a positive way. Go, Vaqueros!
