Rachel Stroud: Southern Illinois Miners Banquet Facility and Client Services Manager

Published: April 13, 2021

For recent December 2015 graduate, Rachel Stroud, GC was an experience of a lifetime that launched her career with the Southern Illinois Miners. Strouds story echoes the same theme of many successful alumni: Greenville College provides the opportunity to grow as a holistic person ready to succeed in the workforce.

Strouds experience at GC was more than a four-year track to get a job, it was a treasured time to try everything, get involved and take full advantage of a liberal arts education. Stroud graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Management and used her skill set while in college as VP of campus activities on GCSA, tour manager for Pursuit, manager of Joyous Chaos and as a member of the class council.

GC helps college students grow into emerging and successful adults through curricular and extracurricular opportunities. The GC experience can be great and it can be excellent; It is all up to you and what you make of your four years. The opportunities offered at GC provided Stroud the chance to work with others, give up control and ask for guidance. Stroud jumped in, tried everything and became a part of the College community identity.

For the two previous summers, Stroud worked as a marketing intern for the Southern Illinois Miners. She worked hard her first summer as a part-time intern helping complete tasks on game day and executing the sponsorship contracts. The Southern Illinois Miners invited Stroud back again as a full-time summer intern the following summer. Now, fresh out of college, Stroud managed to land the Banquet Facility and Client Services Manager position for the Southern Illinois Miners.

Currently, Stroud is in charge of the banquet facilities. She hires and trains food service staff, hires interns and works with the promotion staff. Stroud remarked, Most of my job is customer service and systems based. I get to help keep fans happy and involve them in things happening around the stadium. One of my strengths is arranger and the way that it is displayed in me is that I like to arrange people and jobs in the most efficient, functional and practical way possible.

All GC students have the opportunity to enter into the GC legacy and make a difference in the world. It is all about hard work, dedication and making your four years everything you want them to be. Take Strouds advice and make these next four years the best years of your life: Dont take ANY moment for granted. College is hard and we are trained to think college is a means to an end, but it's much more. It's an experience and a sacred four years of life you will never get back. You get out of college what you put into it. The more you put in, the more you get out. Do everything. Just try it! Go to events. Talk to new people. Stay up late. These are the best memories you won't want to trade for anything.