Office Space: Kristina Garcia

Starting her role at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic showed Kristina Garcia, associate vice president of teaching, learning, and student development, what Elgin Community College is all about. The sense of community, encouragement, and professionalism during incredibly challenging times led to the realization that work won’t ever seem as difficult when surrounded by people working just as hard and passionately for the right reasons. 

Garcia knew from a young age that a career in education was in her future. Initially starting in elementary education, it wasn’t until an alternative spring break trip to Tahlequah, Oklahoma, with college classmates and university personnel that Garcia saw there was more to education than being a teacher. “I wanted to do work that was centered on helping people, I just didn’t know what it would look like,” recalls Garcia. 

Garcia has held several roles in the five years since starting as the associate dean for communications and behavioral sciences. “I get drawn to new experiences and challenges. I try to learn from each chapter, and each one has provided me with knowledge. I am excited to be in this part of the house.” 

Read about this calming presence with an affinity for Godzilla below. 

What is the theme of your space? I would say grounding. There is no aesthetic I am going for. Everything has some significance to it. It could be that someone special gave it to me, or it serves as a visual anchor, so when I am having a difficult conversation or in a Zoom, I can look around and see something that reminds me of my purpose. Like this business card from Joe Rosenfeld, I laminated it and had him sign it before he retired. It serves as a reminder of the hospitality of this college, and he embodied that heart and soul.  

Where is your snack stash and what is your go-to? It is in this cabinet. My go-to snack is Hot Cheetos. I don’t do it all the time, but when I really need them, I need them. To counteract Cheetos, I have Liquid IV or bone broth. 

Do you listen to anything while you are working? Favorite music or podcast? I cannot listen to things with lyrics because it is distracting, but I prefer ambient, synthy sounds. I tend to like movie soundtracks. One I am a really big fan of is the “Challengers” movie soundtrack. I feel like I can get through anything while listening to it. 

What office supply are you obsessed with? I don’t know their official name, but I like the micro–Post-it notes. I use them for everything, in meetings, while reading, and I always have them. 

Is there something unexpected in here? Probably all of the Godzilla's! People always ask, “What is it about Godzilla?” I grew up loving Godzilla, I have gone through different stages where I have revisited it. What I truly love about it is that there are different versions, there is no canon. It can be reinvented and people love it for different reasons.