The Department of English is thrilled to welcome Sofia Racevskis as our new administrative assistant! Although her position is new, Racevskis is no stranger to the department; as an undergraduate student she worked as a department ambassador until she graduated in May 2024 with a major in English and a minor in history.  

After graduating, Racevskis continued to work for the Ohio State as an administrative assistant in University Exploration, an advising program for undergraduate students on the Columbus Campus who have not yet declared a major or pre-major. She notes that although she had the same title in University Exploration, her work differed significantly. “I worked as a receptionist and provided support to academic advisors,” Racevskis says. In her roles in English and Exploration she found common purpose, a love of "working with people dedicated to learning, whether they're young scholars or experienced instructors and researchers.” 

As an administrative assistant in the Department of English, Racevskis splits her time between the fiscal team and assisting the chair, Elizabeth Hewitt. As an assistant to the chair, she manages Professor Hewitt's calendar, takes minutes at departmental meetings, and provides administrative support during the promotion and tenure process. On the fiscal team, she works alongside Wayne Lovely and India McDougald, managing a set of department PCards, monitoring the fiscal team’s inbox, and completing various fiscal processes through Workday. More generally, she strives to “anticipate needs before they arise, remember what's been forgotten.” She emphasizes, “my goal is always to make the lives of my colleagues easier.”  

Racevskis began her position as an administrative assistant on June 6. After five months on the job, she's very happy with her return to the department that helped make her undergraduate years so meaningful. She considers the department’s focuses on “the studies of language, communication, and literature” to be “necessary salves during the overwhelming and isolating times we live in.” For Racevskis, this position change was more than a simple career decision, but an opportunity “to work for a department whose mission aligns so well with my values.” 

Outside of work, Racevskis loves trying new things. She considers herself “an incessant collector of hobbies who loves learning new skills.” She is currently learning how to make her own clothes and considers one of her favorite things about working with students and faculty is “getting to hear what everyone's been reading and watching lately.” Stop by 421 Denney Hall to welcome her back with a book, movie, or TV show recommendation!