Bryan Ensel. Graphic by Jaylene Arnold.

I’ve worked at AU for about six months. Before that, I worked in housing at the University of Miami for 10 years and Coastal Carolina for four years.

My job is to provide strategic direction for Housing and Residence Life, which includes roughly 250 student staff and 28 professional staff who support about 4,100 students living on campus. A typical day includes meeting and collaborating with campus partners and finding ways to bring fun to the workplace. My office is in Anderson Hall.

My go-to lunch spot is TDR. I like to experiment and create a mash-up of different stations. I do a loop to see what’s out there and take a little from here, a little from there. My go-to order at the Bridge is a red eye—no cream, no sugar.

My favorite place on campus to steal a quiet moment is in the “Clark Kent phone booths” on the third floor of MGC. I love going in there for a meeting or just to sit in a different space. Campus is at its prettiest during the fall. After being in South Carolina and Florida for 14 years, I missed the [changing] leaves. I show my AU spirit by incorporating some shade of blue into what I wear to work each day.

The person who helped show me the ropes is Johni Amos, assistant vice president for finance and administration in the Division of Student Affairs, who is my direct supervisor. She’s been extremely patient, and she’s answered a lot of my questions. [Mine] was a new position, so she’s been a big advocate for me, and we have a good working relationship. I found my community at AU by reaching out to campus partners for coffee.

My favorite day of the workweek is Thursday because I can play catch-up from everything that’s happened during the week. My work-from-home rituals include grinding my own beans for a good cup of coffee. My family has been slowly migrating here from Miami, so soon I’ll have my mini schnauzers, Thiago and Olivia, by my side, too.

When I’m not at work, you can find me at DC run clubs or stalking new restaurants and menus. I also teach group fitness at Equinox. My hobbies include cooking (I love Ina Garten recipes), finding travel hacks, and spending time with my two pups while soaking up all DC has to offer. There is so much free stuff to do here, which is cool.

My most Washington moment was riding a bike when somebody opened a car door, and I went spilling into the middle of Seventh Street. I was OK, but I was thinking, ‘Is this really happening?” Another has been the trials and tribulations of riding the Metro.

The last great book I read was Atomic Habits by James Clear. The last great show I watched was Abbott Elementary. The last great meal I ate was my homemade pappardelle and veal ragu.

If I wasn’t working in housing and residence life, I’d be a life coach, a professional home organizer, or a chef. But my job at AU is best because I work with student-focused people who care about the overall experience of AU students. I’ve never seen people that care more for our students than the folks I work with.