Mae Zitzke, Administrative Associate

By Alyssa Cuevas

Two months after graduating from Florida State University, Mae Zitzke joined FSU’s English Department as an Administrative Associate/Human Resources Representative.

Graduating in December of 2021, Zitzke transitioned to her new position in early February. She described the transition from being a full-time student to working full-time as “an adjustment.”

“I had been really busy while I was in school because I was also working, but it was different hours—it was not a set schedule every day,” she says. “It was kind of a difficult transition to go from more of an open schedule to working 8 to 5 every day.”

Originally from Wisconsin, Zitzke moved to Florida in 2018 to pursue her undergraduate degree in International Affairs. During her time as an undergraduate student, she minored in Middle Eastern Studies and was heavily involved with the Arabic program.

Going to FSU and now working here helped as well because I had somewhat of a background on how things are organized.

— Mae Zitzke

In her English department position, she works in the department’s main office in the Williams Building. She works in the front office as the front desk receptionist, which also includes office tasks, such as copying, printing, and sorting mail. As the department's HR representative, Zitzke processes hiring paperwork, checks payroll, posts new job advertisements, and keeps the English department's employees' information up-to-date.

She credits her undergraduate experience for teaching her how to stay organized and be thorough with her work.

“Being in school and having to finish assignments on time and having a lot to do in a short amount of time helped me,” Zitzke explains. “Going to FSU and now working here helped as well because I had somewhat of a background on how things are organized.”

She is excited about her job responsibilities and looks forward to gaining more experience working with Microsoft Excel and data input. Zitzke hopes to attend graduate school eventually to study Public Administration.

Outside of work, Zitzke enjoys running and walking outside—especially in and around Cascades Park—hanging out with her five roommates, or going thrift shopping.

“I like to go to Lighthouse for the furniture and The Living Harvest,” she says. “I kind of go to all of them [thrift stores] in Tallahassee and just do them on a rotation.”

Alyssa Cuevas is a junior who is majoring in English-Editing, Writing, and Media, with a second major in Communication.

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