College of Charleston Faces to Know: Tyrek Foster

Name: Tyrek Foster ’20

Hometown: Gaffney, South Carolina

Education/Background: Bachelor’s degree in elementary education from CofC

Job title: Program and Outreach Coordinator for Office of Institutional Diversity

How long have you worked at the College? This April will make my first year at the College.

What are your job responsibilities? I am the director of the Launchpad for Success program. I work to provide the students with different opportunities that will help ensure their success as students, and prepare students for studying abroad or an internship. I also connect with different offices and departments here on campus to support their DEI efforts and make sure they align with the College’s strategic plan.

What do you like most about your job? Being able to talk and connect with students and supporting them throughout their academic career to ensure that they are successful post-graduation

What question do you get asked most in your job and what’s your typical answer? After I share my job title with someone, I’m often asked, “So, what do you do?” And I reply, “My job consists of a lot of planning and organizing with different people. It also consists of a lot of communication and moving parts. I sit in a lot of meetings and send even more emails.”

What’s your favorite location on campus and why? My favorite location is the Eddie Ganaway Diversity Education and Resource Center. It’s a lovely little room with an amazing view. It’s filled with snacks and drinks and it’s the perfect place to get some work done or enjoy lunch with a few people.

What are your hobbies? My hobbies are going to the gym, playing golf and playing video games whenever I am too sore for the gym or golfing.

What personal and/or professional accomplishment are you most proud of? Working for my alma mater. I knew toward the end of my senior year of undergrad that I would love to work for CofC. When I was presented with the opportunity, I accepted it without any hesitation.

Name a creative work (book, movie, performance, etc.) you enjoyed recently and why? I recently have been enjoying A Real Bug’s Life on Disney+. I believe I enjoy getting to see the world amplified through the different bugs’ perspectives. It’s a great way to disconnect after a long day of work.

What was your favorite TV show growing up? My favorite TV show growing up was Everybody Hates Chris. It was a show my family and I watched together. It was one of the first shows I can remember relating to, and always loved that their family dynamic was the same as mine (mom and dad with two sons and a daughter).

What’s next on your bucket list? To fly out of the country and emerge myself in a culture I am unfamiliar with

What is something your campus colleagues would be surprised to know about you? I have so much anxiety around meeting new people and public speaking. I believe they would be surprised, because this is something I do often.

What was your first job? I was a cook for a Bojangles in my hometown. My specialty was making biscuits!

What’s your favorite Lowcountry restaurant? My favorite Lowcountry restaurant is Gail’s Soul Food. It’s the closest thing to my grandma’s Sunday dinner, and I don’t have to wait until Sunday for it!

Describe your perfect day: The perfect day for me would start with a great breakfast. This would be followed by participating in an activity outside to enjoy the weather and soak up some sun. After this, I would decompress with a nice shower and a movie or video games. Finally, I would wrap up the day with enjoying dinner with friends and their company!

To nominate a faculty or staff member to be featured in the “CofC Faces to Know” series, please send the person’s name and email address to facstaffnews@cofc.edu. Please include “CofC Faces to Know” in the email subject line.