The Advantages of Working at Duke

Name: Vanessa TurnierPosition: Staff assistant for finance and payroll and assistant to the director of First-Year Writing, Thompson Writing ProgramYears at Duke: 6

What I do at Duke: I work as the payroll rep and handle financial scheduling, but I also do logistics and planning for our office.

If I had $5 million, I would: Set up education funds for my children, travel and buy a house. I'd want it to be where I grew up in Charlottesville, Virginia. It's a beautiful city and has a great college vibe. When I traveled, I'd want to go to Australia. My son wants to see kangaroos and koalas. I've always wanted to be in the Outback, too.

My first ever job: I worked as a babysitter in Charlottesville when I was 14. I'd care for children of friends of my mother around the neighborhood making $4 or $5 an hour.

My dream job: To be a soap opera writer. I love the joy of telling a continuous story. I grew up watching soaps. I watched The Young and the Restless the most.

If someone wanted to start a conversation with me they should ask me about: Broadway musicals. Growing up, I was a theater kid and there's something magical about it that I've never grown out of. I love listening to musicals on my drive to-and-from work. I like Anything Goes because my high school performed it. I was a stage manager.

The best advice I ever received: Keep going. Even when things don't go as planned, you have to have a Plan B and keep going. My father taught me that.

What I love about Duke: The opportunities it offers staff, students and faculty. Duke brings in really wonderful speakers and productions. There are sorts of learning opportunities to take advantage of. For me, finance classes at the Duke Credit Union have been very helpful with logistics of buying a house or buying a car.

When I'm not at work, I like to: Play with my kids, watch TV and listen to musicals. I like to watch a lot of PBS, but my guilty pleasure is Survivor. I've watched that show consistently for the past four years. I like the constant strategy and community building.

If I could have one superpower, it would be: To fly. It's freeing, but it'd also be nice to avoid traffic. My life can get very scheduled, which is good, but sometimes it'd be nice to just go fly anywhere I’d want.

Something most people don’t know about me is: I like reality TV. I enjoy it because of the way people portray themselves on TV but then they realize how they came across during an "after show." I like the reflective self-awareness that comes with it.

A Movie I like: Stand by Me because it resonates themes of friendship with an adventure.