Staff Spotlight - Shelley Payne

Shelley Payne, an athletic equipment manager at the College, knows full well the value of a good work ethic in making your own way through life.

Born right in Middlebury, Vt., Shelley attended Middlebury Union High School, where she was a three-sport athlete — she played field hockey, basketball, and softball.

She graduated in 1986 and accepted a full athletic scholarship for field hockey at Champlain College in Burlington, now a four-year college but formerly a junior college.

Despite having her tuition fully paid for, Shelley still had to work full-time at aerospace company BF Goodrich to pay her car payments and other living expenses. With little financial assistance from her parents and under the strain of full-time work, she had to give up school after her first year and continue working at BF Goodrich doing administrative work.

Shelley doesn’t hold any grudges against her parents for not helping her financially while she was in school.

She explained, “I come from a really blue-collar family. There was just an understanding that you were on your own in that way. Don’t get me wrong. My parents were always there for me. School wasn’t right for me in a lot of ways, anyway.”

After working at BF Goodrich for four more years to make some money, Shelley went to work with her dad at his gas station in Bridport, Boise Citgo, which he has owned for about 40 years. Instead of pumping gas as she did when she was little, this time around she managed the gas station’s operations. She did this for three years.

In 1995, she came to work at the College, initially working on and maintaining the athletic fields. She was responsible for preparing fields for games, which included lining and other essentials.

In 1998, she took an opening in the equipment room, where she has been ever since. Today, she makes sure all the College’s athletes are ready to go for their practices and games. She said she loves seeing the students every day.

“The students keep me young,” she said.

Shelley certainly hasn’t let her career get in the way of her competitive spirit. She played competitive softball for 20 years, stopping only recently. Her team traveled throughout the eastern United States playing in tournaments.

“It’s hard to stop being competitive,” she said.

“Plus, our team was always sponsored by local bars,” she said with a laugh.

Now, Shelley works out a lot and runs. Not one to stay out of sports, she picked up hockey about five years ago. Recently, she has been playing in some coed leagues.

“It’s more of a challenge that way. The pace is faster,” she said.

Despite how much she played when she was younger, she doesn’t really play field hockey anymore. She said the game has changed considerably since her time.

“The game involves a lot more finesse today. They don’t play on grass anymore. It’s all on turf. When I was playing, you were just expected to be a workhorse. The girls play a completely different game today.”

And it certainly seems as if Shelley’s competitive spirit is rubbing off on her kids. Her 12-year-old son, River, plays football, ice hockey, baseball and lacrosse. Her 10-year-old daughter, Raven, plays field hockey, ice hockey, baseball and lacrosse. Shelley and her family currently live in Cornwall.

Over the summers when she’s not working at the College, Shelley runs a landscaping/excavating business with her husband, Jim. They met in high school and have been married for nearly 20 years. Also during the summers, Shelley’s family spends most of the time at a camp on Lake Champlain, where they kayak and enjoy the outdoors.

Shelley also enjoys gardening.

As for other entertainment, Shelley confessed that she indulges in a little reality TV every once in a while. She said that she does so precisely because “it’s so not like my life.” For music, Shelley mostly listens to alternative rock bands, such as Seether and Third Eye Blind.

For life advice, Shelley had this to offer: “Have a good work ethic, but enjoy your time at school. Don’t take your experiences for granted. It’s important that you find your own way.”