Grant Pepin

Background

About Grant Pepin

I am a graduate from George Mason University with a Bachelor's in Business - Marketing, graduated in May 2024. I've found work throughout my education and post-grad life, and enjoy making life easier for the people around me. Throughout my experiences, I've grown very adept at pivoting and growing with change, facing adversity head-on, and truly connecting with the people that I work with, both professionally and otherwise. My life has been defined by abrupt and dynamic changes constantly finding their way into my life, and my ability to adapt to them and keep progressing is how I'm thriving today. My first ever job was as a dishwasher at Shawn's BBQ, which was a very formative position in my life. I thought I would just wash dishes and maybe assist with some of the meal prep on my downtime. I was very wrong about that. I found myself getting hired on during a management change, which caused there to be a lull in the hiring process. Therefore, with the other positions in the back-of-house empty, there was a lot of other hats I ended up wearing before leaving the position. Ever since then, being able to pivot and try to meet the needs around me is nearly the fundamental reason why I've been hired at most other positions that I've filled, except for the lifeguarding position that I filled soon after my time at Shawn's. During all of my roles, I've learned and practiced many interpersonal skills that have allowed me to face conflict in the workplace head-on, and demonstrated my knack for negotiation. Patrons of all ages have trouble listening to a 20-something yell orders at them, even if it's for their own safety. Therefore, in several instances where some over-zealous individuals take issue with one of the lifeguards, I found myself stepping in between to mediate the discussion, providing support to fellow staff while also validating the concerns of the patrons. This has ranged from genuine disagreements to belligerence, all of which I have seen and handled, helping me grow bonds between myself and my fellow employees that I carry even from my most recent employments. During my time working on Team Ridge, the position was heavily based on taking the Ridge student space and making the most of the supplies available to create bonds between students and faculty. This takes us tons of planning, experience, and most importantly connections. From socializing with other organizations on campus, we were able to coordinate and throw numerous student-led organization events that helped me build connections that I still hold today.