The Smith College mail room is always bustling — every day, hundreds of students retrieve their mail. A central part of this system is Eliud Colon, Smith’s Mail Coordinator and one of the more familiar faces on campus. In his two and a half years at Smith, Colon has created a reputation for himself as a force of positivity and kindness.
Even though not all students know his name, they often recognize Colon by picture and his impact on the mailroom itself. “Oh yeah! I love that guy,” Eva Friedman ‘29 exclaimed when shown a picture of Colon.
“He’s very approachable,” said Lisa Maistruk, ‘29. “He has that fun energy about him, (he’s) the type of person who I’m not afraid to talk to.”
Colon creates such meaningful interactions amidst the chaos of his job by approaching it in unique ways.
“Last weekend I was talking with my best friend, and as I’m talking to her, I realize, oh, wait a minute. This is exactly what I do with the students at Smith,” Colon said.
Before working in mail services, Colon was a stay-at-home dad. He views his work as just another step in his life, and one that makes him feel young again.
“I feel very comfortable in myself, in my position, and the things that I personally manage to achieve. Even though they’re all personal goals, I consider them so worthwhile that at this moment in time, I find myself really content. After so many years being a stay-at-home dad, I feel like I’m 21 again,” he said.
Working in a job with hundreds of people coming in and out every day is no easy feat, but Colon appreciates the constant commotion. He values being able to see a bigger picture of all students while also gaining deeper insight from those who take the time to have a conversation with him. He credits the flexibility of the mailroom, versus the dining hall or cafes, as the reason for these interactions to take place.
“It’s kind of a neat position to find yourself (in), being able to talk to so many people. I find a new approach to things and dealing with people — the mail services have a very unique thing. It’s a department that does not have to bind itself to any sort of corporate structure. We sort of forge bonds between the students while they’re here.”
Colon often finds himself engaging in long conversations with students about a range of topics from happenings at Smith to their day-to-day and current events. Colon explained that, throughout his time at Smith and in Massachusetts, many people have felt comfortable opening up to him upon first interactions, repeatedly finding himself in long, personal conversations with strangers.
“I’ve noticed that a lot of the people that I tend to meet have this deep emotion…Talking to the students here is one thing, but this is something that happens to me everywhere,” he said.
When asked to elaborate on these types of interactions, Colon shared a story about a group of four women he met several years ago while at a casino in Massachusetts. He was there by himself when a group of women sat down with him and began talking. He learned that they were all there to celebrate the birthday of one of their daughters who had died unexpectedly. They shared the details of having to watch her pass away in the hospital, which made a lasting impact on Colon that he still thinks about years later.
“It created this emotional bond between them — I think born out of sadness, but it holds them together. And throughout the years, these three other women were providing support for each other. So they started telling me this whole thing. And all of a sudden, I’m crying. They’re crying,” Colon said. “So, on November 28th, every year on November 28th, I told them I would make a toast to them. I would toast to them so I could at least be in spirit wherever they’re celebrating. So on that date, I made a calendar note that just extends forever.”
Colon says that he experiences dialogue like this very often, which prompts him to consider its impacts. He believes that the way to build community and change in the world all starts with a conversation, talking to a person you might not know, and just listening.
“We can’t keep making everything into a big thing. Otherwise, we’re never going to get anywhere with solving any issues. It all starts with that (small) interaction with someone you might not know,” Colon said.
