I AM UAA: Patricia Coile

Merchandise Buyer, UAA Campus Bookstore
Hometown: High Ridge, MO

Fun fact: She and her husband were high school sweethearts

Before we delve too far into her background, here are a few of Patricia Coile's favorite things: The UAA sweatshirt that someone says they've had for 10 years. The palette of greens she has to choose from now compared to 16 years ago. Working with student employees. Seawolf fans. And, well, Alaska.

"We were really fortunate to end up in Alaska," Pat says, counting the 19 times her family moved over the 25-plus years her husband was in the U.S. Air Force and then with the Alaska State Troopers. "And I was really fortunate to end up at UAA. The bookstore is an awesome place to work, and I think I have the best job here!"

Pat's job as the merchandise (read: school supplies and apparel) buyer for the UAA Campus Bookstore began over 16 years ago, but not until she had already lived in Alaska for almost 20 years. Before settling in Palmer in 1994, her husband's military and law enforcement careers took them from Anchorage to Ketchikan, Sitka, Fairbanks, back to Ketchikan and finally back to Southcentral Alaska. Since retail was an easy job to find any place they went, Pat dabbled in children's retail, fishing and tackle retail and as clothing buyer at UAF for three years before she and her family decided they could finally stop moving and make Palmer home.

UAA was the natural choice for Pat as they made their final move. The steadiness of the work-week hours in a retail world that normally doesn't stop on the weekends, the benefits extended to UA employees and getting to help mold the public perception of the hometown university through her work: these are a few more of her favorite things.

She waxes nostalgic about how much she has seen school spirit grow since she started in her position, recognizing old t-shirt or sweatshirt designs in the crowds at athletic events, and some of the unique stories of UAA garb finding homes Outside.

"I had a local woman come in once who was buying for her dad who was in a nursing home in the Seattle area," she remembers. "She said all he wanted for his birthday was a University of Alaska sweatshirt. It's a conversation piece for him. When he goes down to dinner and he has his UAA sweatshirt on, people start asking him questions about Alaska."

Not only that, but since Pat started she has also noticed UAA merchandise cropping up in Anchorage-area Targets, Walmarts and Costcos. Beside the fact that all those sales earn royalties that is money coming back to the university, Pat says, "I think that speaks really well of our university that these major corporations think their customers might want our school insignia on their products."

She takes her work seriously. She knows what she purchases in merchandise that gets disseminated out in the community is a direct reflection on UAA as an institution. And she is proud of the work she has accomplished over her UAA career.

UAA has noticed her too. She was the recipient of one of the very first Administrative Services Bill Rose Awards ("actually awarded to me by Bill Rose," she says), an Appreciation Award from Athletics ("Athletics drives a lot of our sales; those fans help!"), a Business Services Award and an Alumni and Friends Achievement Award.

Also over the years she has participated in various university marketing committees, has helped different departments with specific club or unit merchandise and has been on the planning committee for Staff Development Day for several years.

Pat is green and gold through and through. She and her family embraced the Alaska lifestyle a long time ago, loving the adventure of four-wheeling, snowmachining and boating-most of which takes place at their cabin on Lake Louise. And she feels immensely lucky that her two daughters and four grandchildren have all remained in Alaska as well.

"Alaska has been awesome to us," she says, never having dreamed when they first moved here in 1974 that they were going to stay so long. But she didn't just stay. She made Alaska and UAA home.