Zaid and Ricardo

Have you ever wondered what happens in the mailroom of FAU? Zaid and Ricardo are the dynamic duo that work behind the scenes to ensure that mail is delivered and received every day - but they both go beyond their job descriptions. They both appreciate the incentives that FAU offers and the flexibility of their schedule that gives them time to spend with their families.

Zaid was born in Trinidad and Tobago and moved to New York in 1972, later moving to Queens in 1989 and then to Oklahoma, where he wanted to pursue a career with the Spartan Aviation School of Aeronautics and Aviation. He enjoyed his life in Oklahoma so much that he spent 20 years there, enjoying the countryside and attending rodeos, which inspired him to begin horseback riding. Zaid said that school was one of the hardest things that he had to do in his life. Unfortunately, he couldn’t complete his career in aviation, but he did find the life that he was looking for and is very proud and happy of where he is now.

For the last ten years, Zaid has been doing maintenance for several buildings such as townhouses and office buildings. He also worked with a staffing agency for two and a half years in the physical plant at FAU’s Davie, a service organization of people committed to providing students, faculty, staff, and University visitors with the facilities and services required to achieve the University's goals and missions, before moving into the mail room. He attributes his knowledge and expertise to his disciplined work ethic of always doing more than just what the job requires. And that’s just one of the reasons he excels at his job in every way. Zaid is someone that does not like to do just what a job description says, he always goes above and beyond to make sure that the needs of everyone are met.

Zaid really enjoys his job and the ability that it gives him to meet and interact with new people every day. He currently works as the Broward Auxiliary Support Specialist and Courier and Maintenance Technician for the Davie Campus. There is a lot to learn from him.

"Pursue your dreams and even if they do not work out in the beginning, you will be able to achieve happiness, and you never know where you may end up," he said.

Ricardo on the other hand, grew up here in South Florida in Broward County, where he has been residing his whole life. He was a football player who was so good that he received a scholarship, which enabled him to attend Marshall University. He has been working for FAU for 21 years. When he started here, FAU’s Owsley didn’t exist yet and students made their own versions of the logo until they finally created the iconic logo and our mascot. His favorite part about the job is the contact he has with people.

In the summer of 2001, he applied with an agency where he started working in the physical plant. From there, he worked around other campuses by helping with mail and even making Owl cards in the Fort Lauderdale campus. He remembers how in 2001 there was an Anthrax package scare and his team received a package with suspicious powder and had to quarantine and stay the night in the mailroom just in case. Ever since then, he has made safety the utmost priority. In the year of 2012, he moved back to where he started - the Davie campus - where he continues working as a senior auxiliary specialist. Day in and day out, he receives packages and mail, including a hand delivery system where if someone urgently needed mail it would be delivered directly to them. He has also worked as a carrier driver for 21 years, where he was in charge of special mail such as international packages and important certificates.

Ricardo has also worked in the Information desk, taking phone calls from students and other FAU members and helping them with their questions or and resolving their concerns. He has also coordinated the transportation for students and staff members for different FAU events, making sure that the vehicles are always in safe, working condition to transport our Owl family. Safety has always been one of Ricardo’s top priorities and he explains how he is always cautious of suspicious packages. Ricardo is a team player and enjoys working with others. He makes sure that the printers located across campuses are always functioning and in good shape for students to use. After working at FAU for 21 years, Ricardo is happy and proud of the growth that the university has had throughout all these years.

One thing to learn from both is to cherish the moments that we have with everyone even with strangers as you can never know just how far a smile can go for someone, and to treat people with respect at all times.