NC State Honors McLaughlin for 45 years of Service
When Rachel McLaughlin tells people she has worked at NC State for 45 years, she’s astonished by their reactions.
“I don’t really think about it being so unbelievable, but every time I say how many years I’ve been here people go, ‘Wow,'” and I’m like, ‘OK,'” said McLaughlin, the graduate services coordinator in the Department of Horticultural Science. “I come from a family that stays in their jobs forever.”
Last month, NC State held a Service Awards breakfast to honor McLaughlin and 546 other employees for their service to the university and the state of North Carolina. The Service Awards Program honors employees after they reach five years of service and for every subsequent five years of service. The honorees selected special gifts as tokens of appreciation from the university for their service.
“The employees recognized at the Service Awards breakfast are committed to and really love NC State,” said Stephanie Davis, assistant director of Learning and Organizational Development and an organizer of the breakfast. “For them to receive recognition for their milestone years is really an honor.”
During the breakfast, the honorees sat at tables surrounded by their guests and leaders in their offices, divisions and colleges. A slideshow of pictures of the honorees was on display during the breakfast.
Number of Service Award Honorees by Years of Service
| Years of Service | Number of Honorees |
|---|---|
| 5 | 216 |
| 10 | 125 |
| 15 | 98 |
| 20 | 76 |
| 30 | 18 |
| 35 | 12 |
| 40 | 1 |
| 45 | 1 |
Among the employees recognized during the breakfast, McLaughlin’s 45 years of service was the most. But she said she still was surprised when she was called on stage by herself and given her own individualized award.
“I come from a family of people very dedicated to their jobs,” McLaughlin said. “Our work ethic is very strong, and we got that from our mom and dad.”
She said her father, Foil, former director of the North Carolina Crop Improvement Association, worked at NC State for at least 30 years. She said her older and middle sisters each also worked for an employer for at least 30 years.
McLaughlin has worked in the same department at NC State — horticultural science — since she started working for the university on Aug. 22, 1977, as a clerical worker. She said working here so long has given her an enormous sense of pride in being a member of the Pack.
McLaughlin said the main reasons she has stayed at NC State for 45 years are her colleagues and the graduate students in the horticultural science department.
“I like the environment at NC State, particularly in our department,” she said. “Our department is almost like a family. I appreciate the people I work with and the quality of people I work with.”
McLaughlin said because she has worked at NC State for so long, colleagues often ask her about retirement. McLaughlin said she tells them she will retire after her 70th birthday; but she also isn’t sure if she will actually do that.
“It just depends if I can mentally and physically continue to work,” she said. “You never know what’s going to happen. I don’t feel like I’m ready to retire.”
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