Jerome Osborne, a San Francisco native, has recently been named the new director for the Student Recreation Center (Rec Center) at UTEP. Osborne was stationed in Virginia up until two weeks ago, when he started at UTEP.
Becoming the director of the Rec Center is a position that was very appealing to Osborne with the visual and a feeling of being at home here in the Sun City.
“When I walked on campus and saw everything here at the university I said to myself where do I sign up?” Osborne said.
“Seeing the post and reading over the job description, I said ‘That fits me to a T. That’s what I want. That’s what I want to be,’” Osborne said.
He is very thankful that he has been put in a location and a place where the professional staff and the facility’s best fit his needs in being able to make the rec program the best program in the country.
He came to El Paso to take the tour of campus after applying for the position, and upon doing so, Osborne wanted to work at UTEP right away. A big part of what drove him to the university was the architecture, the landscape and the people. He feels the staff have been very hospitable and has made him feel like he is a part of a team.
Upon comparing his experiences, Osborne strongly feels that this is where he is supposed to be. He explained that this is his first time directing. His previous work experiences have included being associate director in various positions in South Texas, and senior associate director, but never director up until now, and Osborne plans on being here for a long while.
“This Recreation Center is set apart from others in that students here can eat after a workout, study, meet new people and have a great experience all around,” Osborne said.
Osborne said that here at UTEP, students can narrow down and focus on their eight components of wellness. As director, he strives to make sure that every student can work on every component under the center’s umbrella.
The Student Rec Center has programs offered already geared toward students who might not know where to start when it comes to physical activity. Instructional classes include workout programs, conditioning programs, yoga classes, as well as dance programs. The Rec Center also offers intramural sports such as dodgeball, basketball, volleyball and soccer, and includes two large basketball courts, a swimming pool, and a racquetball court.
However, Osborne does plan on adding programs for students such as introduction to weight classes, as well as collaborating with other departments on campus for wellness connection to make sure they can provide students and staff adequate resources for their wellness.
“We are only the best when it comes to students and their happiness and their well-being, and their return visits,” Osborne said.
Osborne’s next step is to provide students a survey to make sure the Rec Center stays up to date with the programs and events in which the students might be interested in.
Osborne said they’ll do whatever it takes to be the best in the eyes of the UTEP students. He recognized that students are paying for recreation with their tuition and explained he wishes to make sure students get what they need for maintain their wellness.
