Mary Seaman’s passion for books and computers has led her to her 30-year milestone at Colorado State, which she will be celebrating at this year’s Milestone event in May.
Seaman was born and raised in Colorado and has lived in Fort Collins since 1978. In 1986, she joined Colorado State Libraries to begin building a career for herself.
In her years at the University, she has watched the Morgan Library transform into a place of gathering for the CSU community. She worked in Tech Services until 2010, and then moved to Public Services to continue to advance her technical and critical thinking skills.
As someone who is always looking to give back, Seaman’s favorite part of her job is knowing that she is “helping the CSU community.” In day-to-day tasks, she loves to use her analytical side to solve problems and help out where she is needed.
Celebrate! CSU Milestones
Colorado State University employees achieving a decade of service or more this year and retirees will be honored at the annual Celebrate! CSU Milestones event Tuesday, May 2, at 4 p.m. in the LSC Grand Ballroom.
Community involvement
For Seaman, helping others in her community is imperative. In 2009 she began coaching and volunteering with the adult Special Olympics. She loves taking on a motherly role for the older group of disabled athletes – “a group that gets forgotten,” Seaman said. Her group consists of ages from late teens into their 60s and 70s.
Seaman feels inspired to work with this group of people. “Watching these athletes come together is so neat to see,” she said. “You’ll see athletes giving the ball back to a smaller athlete to have them try again.” The support that they show for each other is the same type of generosity that Seaman employs in her life and work.
As someone who loves to use her analytical and logical thinking, Seaman enjoys working with computers and constantly looks to improve her skills and knowledge. She also works part time as a tax advisor, which keeps her on her toes during the busy seasons.
Working toward degree
Seaman is also utilizing of the benefits of working at Colorado State by working toward her bachelor’s degree. “There are a lot of times where I wish I would have taken advantage of it sooner, but better late than never,” she said. She has already completed the business certificate program and will continue to take classes until she earns her degree.
Summertime is a favorite of Seaman’s, who enjoys helping with Ram Orientation to meet the newest members of the community. As she interacts with families and potential students, she loves to hear about the reasoning behind future Rams finding their state.
“One of the things that makes me proud to be a part of the CSU family is when parents and students say everyone is so friendly, inviting, and welcoming,” said Seaman. She can relate to their appeal to the University and the community within it.
“It’s the reason why I love working at CSU,” she said.
Taking time to unwind
When Seaman is not working to help others she enjoys knitting, crocheting, and sewing, hobbies that were passed down from her mother. This downtime hobby allows her to unwind and make heart-felt gifts for loved ones.
Seaman also has interests in computers, playing board games and reading books. “I do have an interest in reading, but that is kind of a given when you work in the library,” she said. Though she doesn’t have time to pick up a book on the job, she uses her daily commute to catch up on all of her favorite reads.
