Mary Ann Braden, administrative assistant and office manager to the dean of Social Sciences, will be retiring this summer after 31 years at IU Southeast.

Her job includes advising students on curriculum and ordering of any equipment or supplies and several other responsibilities.

“I really like my job, or I wouldn’t have stayed,” Braden said. “My favorite part is advising and seeing the students. I have a lot of kids.”

In 1979, Braden was looking for a job and had previously worked at the Indianapolis campus. She called IU Southeast, went in for an interview and got hired. She had a background in the field, and she said it wasn’t a difficult task to get hired.

She currently gets hundreds of e-mails a day, which is normal for her in this line of work.

“You never know what’s going to happen,” Braden said. “It’s never a dull moment in this office.”

When she retires, she hasn’t decided what she will do, but she said she knows she will have a lot of time on her hands.

However, she has five grandchildren who are active in sports and extra-curricular activities. She already attends most of them, but hopes to be able to attend more.

Braden is also involved a lot with her church. They have a soup kitchen and a clothes closet that she works at once or twice a month. She is also on the Board of Directors for the Interfaith Community Council. This is a group who gets together once a month and decides how to help the homeless to get what they need.

“I’ve enjoyed doing those things,” Braden said. “I’ll probably just get more involved with that.”

Braden said she really liked her time at IU Southeast.

“I’ve liked the people and what I did to help the students and faculty,” Braden said. “I’ve enjoyed seeing the changes from when I came 31 years ago.”

By ASHLEY AGNEW

Staff Writer

aeagnew@umail.iu.edu