The Dearborn Icebreaker is a new Reporter feature designed to help us get to know our UM-Dearborn colleagues.
Name: Ledina Imami
Position: Human Resources Assistant
Years at UM-Dearborn: 5
What does a typical workday look like for you?
I help university administrators, students and faculty with various questions and concerns, from recovering lost paychecks, to understanding their benefits and getting help with employment application procedures. Because I work with some very cool people, there isn’t a day that doesn’t go by without tons of laughter and fun.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
My coworkers; they make every day enjoyable and are always so generous and supportive with their time and knowledge.
What was your first job?
I was part of a youth organization that promoted music and the arts among college students. I assisted with event organizing, which involved a lot of things, from delivering invitations to soliciting funding and help from various donors and organizations.
What’s one thing people would be surprised to know about you?
I attended school regularly for three months without understanding a word of what was being said around me: I was in Greece and I was 12 years old. The only subject I didn’t flunk that semester was math.
What do you do to relax?
Reading, reading, reading, and more reading….!
What’s your definition of a life well lived?
Good friends, good food, lots of work and lots of travelling.
What’s the proudest moment of your life?
I will be very proud of myself once I learn how to cook.
If we were to create a UM-Dearborn playlist, what song would you want to include?
It’s a Man’s, Man’s, Man’s World by James Brown
If someone handed you a $100 bill, what would you do with it?
Donate it to a student scholarship fund.
What advice would you give to this year’s graduating class?
I am too young for advice of my own, so, instead, I would mention an old Arab proverb that says: “Do not seek adventure, but when it knocks on your door, answer it.”
