Spotlight on CASL Staff Member Angela Palek

February 21, 2023

Enjoy the following Q&A with Angela Palek, Business and Financial Operations Administrator, CASL Dean's Office.

Name:  Angela M. Palek
Position:  Business and Financial Operations Administrator
Years at UM-Dearborn: I am entering my 10th month at UM-Dearborn

What does a typical workday look like for you?

Each workday brings with it a new challenge and a bit of variety, a day can involve meeting with staff, attending various meetings, handling various financial and human resources tasks and activities, and completing various projects.  I am a researcher at heart and enjoy viewing tasks and activities from a different perspective, creating new ideas and putting them to the test.

What do you enjoy most about your job? 

I enjoy working with our CASL faculty, staff and students, interacting with others across campus, and the variety in my workday.

What was your first job? 

My first job was an antique dealer apprentice.  Each weekend throughout the summer months, I would accompany my grandparents to yard sales and auctions to seek antiques and other household items at a discount price.  We would then clean up the items and sell them for a profit.  My grandparents were well known in the antique and resell community and dealers would turn to them to find collectables.

What do you do to relax? 

There are quite of bit of activities that I like to do that help me relax which entail spending time with my family, working out, gardening, powerwalking with my furry baby Buddy, sewing, reading, volunteering and rewatching my favorite movies and tv series.

If you could have any one skill or talent that you don’t already have, what would it be? 

One talent that I’ve always been interested in pursuing is learning how to become a woodworker.  It would be a fun way to learn a new skill while creating unique custom-made products.

What’s the proudest moment of your life? 

I have many moments that I am proud of, one of them was obtaining my college degree.  I am a first-generation college graduate who had faced many obstacles to complete my degree, despite the challenges I had faced, I kept pushing forward until I had my degree in my hand.

If we were to create a UM-Dearborn playlist, what song would you want to include? 

The song that I would include in a UM-Dearborn playlist is Sunday Best by Surfaces. 

What’s one thing people would be surprised to know about you? 

The one thing people would be surprised to know about me is that I was an athlete.  I ran track, cross country and played basketball.  As an adult, I even participated in a 5K race with my son.

What’s one thing you wish you had known when you were a teenager? 

One thing I wish I had known as a teenager was to enjoy being a kid.