Vicki Sparks, an administrative aide for the University Library and a 14-year employee at the U. of I., has lived up to her last name at every place she has worked.
Sparks started in 1985 as an office assistant at the U. of I. Hazardous Waste Resource and Information Center. It was an entry-level position made more challenging by the fact that Sparks simultaneously was earning an office careers certificate at Parkland College.
“It was a pretty busy time in my life,” she said. “When I first started working here, there were some computers, but we were still using typewriters too.”
Sparks left her U. of I. job in 1990 and worked in the health care industry, which included a position with a local health insurance company. The company eventually consolidated and put employees through a round of layoffs, so she found herself looking for a new job.
That led Sparks back to the U. of I. as an extra help worker at the Admissions and Records Visitor Center, which gives campus tours for prospective students.
She kept adding skills – by taking on additional duties and immersing herself in extra training – and in 2005 joined the U. of I. Foundation support staff for the regional directors of development.
Supervisors noted the spark she brought to the unit, and in just three years she moved from a secretary III position to an office support specialist.
“I’ve had to continue learning and adapting to the changes over the years,” she said. “When things change, I go get the training –
and things always have a way of changing. I just try to be prepared and go out of my way to give my best effort.”
In 2008, Sparks was offered a position in the Advancement Office at the University Library, and she has worked there since. In 2011, she was promoted to office manager and in 2013 she was named an administrative aide.
The people she works with in her current position include library gift officers and faculty and staff members, and the alumni and friends who contribute to the University Library.
Sparks said that many donors worked in the library when they were students, and she’s enjoyed getting to know them and discovering why the university continues to be such an important part of their lives.
“They still have a lot of passion for the U. of I. and it’s neat hearing their stories,” she said. “They have such a connection – it’s really infectious.”
Sparks is the personal assistant to the chief advancement officer for the library. She maintains calendars, schedules meetings, prioritizes and answers inquiries and ensures off-campus travel runs smoothly.
“It’s a job that’s evolving as I keep learning,” she said. “You never know what is going to pop up and demand your attention, or who’s going to pop in and need something. I love the variety in my work.”
She said the office staff is one of the best groups on campus.
“The group of people I work with are like family,” she said. “It’s a great team and it’s a great work environment. I’m very happy to be here.”
Sparks has lived in St. Joseph most of her life. She has been married to her husband, Larry, for 24 years and they have two children: an 18-year-old daughter and 16-year-old son.
One of the family’s main activities is high school sporting events. The family got caught up in the frenzy of last year’s state football playoffs, during which St. Joe-Ogden fell just two points shy of winning the IHSA 3A football championships. The couple also regularly attends their son’s baseball games.
“The schedule does get a little crazy sometimes,” she said, “but we enjoy supporting our kids and know it will end soon.”
Her personal hobbies include scrapbooking and maintaining a decorative fish pond that the family constructed at their home.
“I like being outdoors most,” she said. “When it gets cold like this, I just hibernate as much as I can and wait for spring.”
This article was imported from a previous version of the News Bureau website. Please email news@illinois.edu to report missing photos and/or photo credits.
