A familiar face is back on campus, this time working as a communications assistant in Castleton University Advancement Office.

Leo Richardson, a class of ‘20 alumni of Castleton, graduated with a degree in Media and Communication with a concentration in public relations and a minor in theatre. He was very active during his time, often being involved in the theatre department shows, as well as taking on the web editor position for the Castleton Spartan his senior year.

Now, he’s back on campus working in the school’s communication department. His duties include web edits, updating material to the schools website, like new information, as well as supporting various tasks that the advancement office does.

When he was a student, he interned in the advancement office the first half of his senior year.

“I was already pretty familiar with the work that the office does, and Elicia, James, and Kate, who work in the office,” said Richardson. “I was also pretty involved with the theatre arts department and their social media and communications efforts when I was a student as well.”

Richardson has been welcomed back to the office he interned in.

“Leo is a shining example of why experiential learning is beneficial for our students,” said Elicia Pinsonault, communications coordinator in the Advancement Office. “Now, he’s using the skills he learned during his internship and as a Media and Communication major to give back to the university he loves, that is such a special thing.”

When Richardson graduated, he always said his ideal job would be to work for the school.

“Despite the challenges that I had when I was a student here, I really did fall in love with the campus, and the community, and to be able to support the mission of the university as an employee, which is something that I had already done as a student, felt like the perfect scenario.”

When it came to applying for the position, Richardson said the professors, especially in the media and communication department, helped boost his confidence through the work that he did, leaving him feeling prepared for his new role.

One of these professors is David Blow, who teaches journalism classes, had Richardson in a few classes, including Pages and Posts.

“I’m so glad Leo is now a colleague at Castleton, but I can’t say I’m surprised at the decision to hire him,” Blow said. “He is a talented writer and excelled using social media platforms and analytics in my Pages and Posts class. Castleton University is lucky to have him on board.”

Richardson said that being an employee still feels a little unreal, saying that it’s really interesting.

“From my office I can see people walking to classes, and I can see that and sort of feel nostalgic for when I was a student,” he said. “But I am so much more fulfilled as an employee here than when I was a student, and I don’t think that would’ve been the case had I not graduated from here. Being a student provided me so much insight into the atmosphere, and the environment, and how to get around. I felt so comfortable here as a student, and I knew that it would be such a positive and healthy workplace environment.”