Lifelong Love For Duke

Name: Gwen DiFabioPosition: Director, Financial TrainingYears at Duke: 4 years

What I do at Duke: My team and I are responsible for training employees about Duke's financial systems and supporting business processes. We focus on areas in Disbursement Services, which includes corporate payroll, corporate accounts payable, and employee travel and reimbursement. We also provide SAP training and training for new tools such as Buy@Duke and the online travel tool. We offer about 40 training classes and do a lot of outreach based on what customers need and want to learn. We work with employees at the university, School of Medicine and Health System.

If I had $5 million, I would: Travel. I worked for the U.S. Forest Service out of college, so I'd love to visit parks.  I've never been to Yellowstone. I'd love to go to Glacier National Park in Montana and also parks in Alaska and Hawaii. I'd put money away for my 8-year old son's education. I'm a Duke alum, so I'd also donate money back to Duke.

My first ever job: I grew up on a dairy farm, so my first job was feeding baby calves. My first non-family job was as a baseball umpire for the Hillsborough Youth Athletic Association. I started when I was a sophomore in high school and did it for a couple summers.

My dream job is: Either working as a backup singer for Jimmy Buffett because I love his music, or I'd want to be the person who works at CBS Sports and makes video montages for events like the NCAA basketball tournament. I don't have the skills or talents to do either of those things, but that's why they're true dream jobs.

If someone wanted to start a conversation with me they should ask me about: My family. I'm also a big sports fan. I love the Duke basketball and football programs.

What I love about Duke: The energy. When I was 13, my father and I got tickets to see Duke basketball play Oklahoma. My dad and I went to the game, and Duke retired Johnny Dawkins' number. I didn't know that was going to happen, but I remember sitting in the stands and feeling this incredible energy. It's something that I still feel around campus. I think it's the idea that you're a part of something bigger than yourself. As part of my job, I meet so many people from across Duke. Through that, I feel like what I'm doing tangibly helps Duke's mission. I've always thought Duke is a really special place.

When I'm not at work, I like to: I love to be outside and hike or garden. I play with my son, Jack, a lot too.

If I could have one superpower, it would be: The ability to freeze time because time is one of those things you never have enough of. I'd want to freeze time so I can make sure there's enough time to get something done or enjoy something more.

Something most people don't know about me is: Growing up on a dairy farm is a pretty unique thing in this day and age. When I came to college here, I had a lot of friends who had never stood beside a cow. On a farm, you learn an appreciation for the value of hard work and how to take ownership in the work that you do. It's not just a job; it's a lifestyle.