OxStars: Joy Budensiek
In 1984, freshly armed with a college degree, a Newton County native knew exactly where she wanted to be: right back home in Covington. After spending two years in the office at the local FFA/FHA camp, Joy Budenseik’s next big chapter began in August 1986.
After seeing a newspaper ad in the Covington News for two secretarial openings at Oxford College, she applied, viewing the opportunity as a promising next step, though unaware it would become a lifelong journey.
"When I started at Oxford College, I had no idea," reflects Budensiek, imagining how much the campus she first started her career 40 years ago has expanded and evolved. "Looking back now, I wonder, where did those 40 years go?"
She made the most out of her time here, having served seven college deans and worked for eight division chairs. Budensiek has seen it all. Today, as the current Academic Department Administrator in the Division of Natural Science and Mathematics, her main purpose of supporting the faculty has remained the same.
“The job has changed drastically over the years, but the determination and the want to be successful and do a good job in supporting those faculty have never changed.”
Budensiek's strong commitment to supporting the college and her colleagues turned what some might consider a regular 9-to-5 job into a career-defining journey. For her, Oxford was never just a workplace to clock in and out; it became a community where she continuously contributed and found her niche.
Finding her niche meant perfecting the skill of keeping the Division of Natural Science and Mathematics running smoothly behind the scenes. When she first started, the department was a tight-knit group of just 13 faculty members. Today, that number has more than doubled to over 30. Navigating that massive growth required a quick realization and a change in strategy.
“I learned early on that I could not be all things to all people because I'm just one person," Budensiek says. "But what I did do was get together with the faculty, learn where I could best support them individually, and then work together. That is an effective method that I still use today. Communication is a beautiful thing. We like to talk to each other; we like to learn from each other.”
For Budensiek, the frequent communication and daily collaboration do far more than just keep the department organized. She sees her role as the starting point for a chain reaction that flows across the entire campus. “I feel like my role works with student success, the faculty, and the community at large; it’s a domino effect,” she explains. To her, supporting a professor isn’t just an administrative task; it is the first domino in the chain that ultimately shapes the future. When she does her job well, she clears the path for faculty to do what they do best: teach. In turn, those students have a meaningful experience at Oxford before stepping out into the wider world to do great things.
Over the past forty years, the campus has transformed into a second home for Budensiek. The people have become her family. She welcomed new faculty members, met their partners, and watched their families grow. Joy and her colleagues celebrated weddings, organized baby showers, and supported one another through difficult times of loss. Through every milestone, they stayed connected, celebrating life and uplifting each other through those meaningful moments.
Her strong connection to the campus runs even deeper than her forty-year employment record. In fact, Oxford was the backdrop for one of the most important days of her life. In 1984, she was married in the Oxford Chapel, celebrating her reception right afterward in Candler Hall, which served as the student center at the time.
“In some ways, I felt like I married Oxford," she laughs, "but I didn't even know at that time that that was what was going to happen. But I just love it here. I love the place, I love the people, and it's been a wonderful experience.”
It appears every road in her life kept leading back to the same historic quad. Looking back at the 24-year-old version of herself stepping onto campus for her first day, she remembers the essential advice that guided her journey from the very beginning. Her father always told her to find a good organization, commit to it, and do her best. She took that philosophy to heart, and it remains her guiding light today. While people have come and gone over the decades, she received more than just a workplace; she found a home, and she remains thankful that her 24-year-old self chose to say "yes" to Oxford.
For those just starting their own careers on campus, her advice is simple: fall in love with your job, fall in love with the place, and, echoing the words of Atticus Haygood, "let us stand by what is good and make it better if we can."
Joy has spent four decades doing exactly that, standing by what is good and making it better. For her, Oxford can be described as a place where you can follow your heart and find true satisfaction.
“40 years ago, I followed my heart to this destination and found my satisfaction at the heart of a great university.”
She isn't looking back either; she’s looking forward. As she gazes into the future of Oxford College, she is most excited to watch the campus continue to evolve as a top destination for students, a place they will not only want to come to, but a place they will always want to return to and support.
In many ways, Joy Budensiek’s journey captures the very essence of Oxford College. Oxford possesses a rare kind of magic that transforms the experiences of everyone who steps onto the quad. It is a campus where growth is mutual; as the institution evolves, so do the people who keep it running. Joy’s four decades of dedication show that transformation isn't reserved just for the students who pass through for their first and second years. It belongs equally to the staff and faculty who plant their roots here, turning a workplace into a legacy and a campus into a family.
If Joy’s legacy proves anything, it's that once Oxford gets hold of your heart, it never really leaves you.