I Spy: Becky Bogart teaches students about CCU pride
Litter is often an unfortunate consequence of growth on a college campus, especially around the residence areas. For Coastal Carolina University’s Becky Bogart, facilities operations superintendent, it wasn’t just a question of laziness – it was a matter of school pride.
April Betsch, the associate director of Chant 411, calls the steps Bogart took to solve the litter problem “admirable.” Bogart contacted Betsch and voiced her concerns about the growing litter at University Place, residence apartments for CCU students. Bogart wanted advice on how to get the students involved in cleaning up University Place and taking pride in their campus community.
“It wasn’t about picking up [trash]; Becky didn’t mind picking up. She was concerned about the lack of pride,” says Betsch.
Bogart compared the problem to “walking into your own home and dropping your garbage in the middle of the room. You wouldn’t do that to your own home because you respect it,” she said. She wanted the residents of University Place to take the same pride in their home here. Not only that, but Bogart did not want new students and their parents arriving on campus with trash all over the place.
“For us in Housing, we are huge on curb appeal,” says Bogart. “It takes the stress out of move-in day when students and parents pull up to a pristine environment.”
Eileen Soisson, director of service excellence at CCU, says Bogart tries to instill in the students the idea that the apartments are their homes and that they have a responsibility to clean up after themselves. "Bogart sees the big picture," says Soisson, "and Bogart’s heart is what makes her stand out."
“She has a huge heart for CCU and the students,” says Soisson. “You can’t teach that.”
Bogart is now working with students in the Residence Hall Association (RHA), Community Councils and the University Housing Staff to address the issue. The RHA paid for 25 signs to be posted around University Place with Bogart’s slogan: “CCU pride starts from the ground UP! #DoBetter.”
Bogart is very passionate on taking pride in where you live, even when she is not at CCU. She works on taking care of the grounds and community where she lives in Laurel Woods off S.C. 707 in Myrtle Beach. Bogart attends Christ United Methodist Church. She enjoys the music and the feeling of walking in and knowing you belong.
She has worked for University Housing at CCU for nine years. Before that, she was a special projects coordinator at the Riptide Beach Club and a professional musician.
“I played anything with strings and the drums,” says Bogart.
Bogart is spending her summer making sure all 573 University Place apartments are deep cleaned and that new hot water heaters are installed before the start of the new semester. She recently won the Feel the Teal award, which honors CCU employees who have gone above and beyond in the area of service excellence and who live out the Feel the Teal ideals.
“I am proud of every accomplishment I have achieved at CCU,” says Bogart.
