I Spy Daniel Rabon: Going above and beyond the call of duty
Not many people were brave enough to go outside and face the winter whirlwind that swept through Conway on Tuesday, Jan. 28, and Wednesday, Jan. 29. However, Mother Nature was no match for Daniel Rabon, a budget officer at Coastal Carolina University, who went above and beyond the call of duty for CCU and students’ safety.
Around 4:45 p.m. on Thursday, University Housing received a call from a concerned parent about a sheet of ice on the sidewalk in front of The Gardens student housing facility. The grounds staff and regular maintenance crew had gone home for the day, so Rabon took it upon himself to go over and handle the situation. With shovel in hand and a lot of elbow grease, he was able to remove the ice from the sidewalk as well as the worries of the concerned parent.
“I didn’t want the mom to be worried for her kid’s safety, so I said ‘what the heck, I’ll go out and shovel it,’” says Rabon. “I didn’t want any kids slipping and falling down. I wanted everyone to get home safely.”
Steve Harrison, director of University Housing, nominated Rabon for ‘I Spy’ to recognize him for his hard work. “Daniel stayed well after 6 p.m. shoveling the ice. That's service excellence and that's care for our students,” says Harrison. “He is always in the background doing something worthy of celebration, and I'm glad I caught him in the act.”
Sharon Sluys, executive financial analyst and Rabon’s supervisor at CCU, had only good things to say. “Daniel is an overall great guy who is always dependable,” says Sluys. “He is always our go-to guy for various jobs, and he handles all of them successfully. He is very versatile and a great fit for this University. He was a good find, and we’re happy to have him.”
Rabon, originally from Aynor, graduated from CCU in May 2012 with a bachelor’s degree in accounting. Rabon was a student worker with Facilities Planning and Management all four years at CCU, and was nominated as the 2010 employee of the year his sophomore year. Two days after his graduation, Rabon was hired as a full-time employee.
In his free time, Rabon enjoys playing golf as much as he can. His favorite courses are CCU’s Hackler Course and Woodland Valley Country Club in Loris. He has been on CCU’s Dragon Boat team for three years and participates in the Ground Zero Dragon Boat Festival, which raises money for ministry events provided for teenagers and youth.
Rabon also plays intramural co-ed softball for CCU’s faculty team, “Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop,” who were spring 2013 champions. Rabon loves being active, but he also likes to catch up on watching sports when he has time. “I like to support local teams. I like the Braves, Pelicans and Panthers. I like to attend games or watch them on television when I can,” he said.
“And of course, I’m a big Coastal fan.” Rabon stated with a proud grin.
