Showing up and getting the job done with excellence day after day has been the hallmark of this longtime Operations employee.

Aida Garcia started her employment at Texas Tech University, in part, because her mother did not want her to work in the sun hoeing cotton fields, but she has wound up staying 50 years now because her heart told her to.

These days, Aida, can hardly believe a half-century has whizzed by since she took her first job on campus as a wide-eyed teenager still completing her studies and playing in the band at nearby Lubbock High School.

“They say you should enjoy what you’re doing because time goes fast, and you look up, and you can’t believe it,” she said. “I look back and I am proud of where I am because, I think, if you have pride in what you do, you will always be successful. That doesn’t mean money; it means a lot of different things.”

Aida’s connection to Texas Tech originally was forged when the university was on the lookout for high school students to work during the summer. At the time, her mother was already working as a custodial supervisor, and she thought her daughter would benefit from the experience.

So, she signed a less-than-enthusiastic Aida up.

“My mom sort of just put me in there, and I didn’t have a choice,” she said with a laugh. “I started working, and I thought it was just for the summer, but it turned out the boss at that time said, ‘No, we would like you to keep working part-time.’”

Before Aida could say yes or no, her mom said it sounded like a great deal, and Aida was set. Among her original duties was taking care of the former Textile Engineering building. For the next five years, she worked nights, first as a student on a part-time basis and then full-time after graduation.

As for her school commitments, Aida said Texas Tech was flexible. She was allowed to work around those times she was to participate in the band, which would have marched at Friday night football games and competed in district, area and state competitions. As a clarinetist, she did not want to miss out on these experiences.

“I told my mom that they weren’t going to let me off every time I had something (school-related),” she recalled. “So, my mom brought me in to talk about it, and I said the only time I would be out was if I was sick or in the band or doing something with the school, and they said that was fine.”

She was balancing working 20-plus hours per week with school obligations, but she made it work and built a reputation as someone who could be counted on. After graduation, Aida continued to work nights until she was married.

That created another employment challenge because her husband didn’t want her to work nights.

It prompted a conversation with her supervisor at the time. Aida was asked if she enjoyed working for Texas Tech, which she did, and she appreciated the salary and benefits. She didn’t want to leave, and her employer didn’t want to lose her because she had been so reliable.

Aida was moved to a daytime shift, and her responsibilities shifted as well. She was charged with making sure the English and Journalism buildings were clean as well as Holden Hall and Civil Engineering. The former English building was demolished in 2004 while the Journalism building was repurposed as the National Wind Institute in 2013.

“Aida is obviously a dedicated employee,” said Lance Rampy, managing director of Operations Services. “She is someone who’s not just shown up every day but has grown with the role and become a cornerstone of our workplace.

“I believe she is a Red Raider through and through. She knows the ins and outs of the Services department and has a wealth of institutional knowledge. I’m thankful to have the honor of working with her and the opportunity she’s given me to learn from her.”

While much has changed and continues to change, Aida remains steadfastly committed to her work. She now serves as a manager in Operations Services, overseeing a group of 16 employees and insisting they care for the university and its facilities the same way she has.

“When I first started here, I loved the flowers and the greenery and just seeing those things,” she said. “I also love the beauty of the arches in the buildings on campus. It’s incredible how the campus seemed to start growing and kept on growing. I never dreamed it would grow like this.”

There was a time Aida thought about leaving Texas Tech. She had some bookkeeping experience and briefly considered the possibilities of a different career path.

But she never could truly see herself doing anything else. She has held a number of different positions, worked with a lot of dedicated people and been part of an organization she’s proud to represent in the community.

“I like the hours and the benefits, and I like what I get to do,” she said. “I have stayed here, and I like being involved at Texas Tech.”

The job, the people and the place have provided her with a lot of great memories. She has helped lead the crew at Jones AT&T Stadium, putting in 14-hour days to make sure the facility meets the game-day expectations of everyone, and she is proof that hard work is its own reward as she steadily has risen through the ranks of the Operations team.

“I want everything to be clean, and I am picky about it,” she said. “It represents Texas Tech, and I want everything done right. I’m the one that keeps going back to make sure everything is done correctly because people notice everything.”

For now, Aida will continue to give Texas Tech her best every day. Retirement is not in her vocabulary.

“As long as I am in good health, I plan to be here,” she said. “I have had some people ask me about retiring, and I’m not ready yet. I’ll know when I’m ready.