Staff Spotlight: Tyrone Briley

When you walk into New Dorm Dining Hall, Tyrone Briley will always greet you with a welcoming smile and fist bump. Briley always makes an effort to make every student smile and feel welcome in the Bryn Mawr Community. He’s been working at New Dorm Dining Hall since 2015, and it will be his tenth anniversary working there this summer.

Briley is a utility kitchen worker, working in the dish room and helping with maintenance around the dining hall. He constantly stresses the importance of Bryn Mawr’s place as an institution for the students, saying, “It’s a really good community. I always tell students not to transfer and stay put. We look out for you here. I look at the students and I see the future of this country in you.”

During his time working at New Dorm, he enjoys seeing all of the students smiling and making memories. “It’s more so the people I enjoy when I come into work,” he says.

“I love all of the special dinners and events and watching the students have fun. You know, I always tell the students that everything isn’t academic. Go enjoy yourself. You’re here to get the degree and have fun.”

Briley takes pride in wanting to see students smile and teaching them new perspectives on life. At the dining hall, Briley mainly works in the dish room but can be seen helping out the students in the entire kitchen. He makes an effort to keep the dish room and kitchen area tidy for the students so that they can focus on academics. “My gift is talking and dealing with people…And I’ll tell you what—everyone has their different talents. For me, I want to make [the students] feel comfortable and keep the kitchen cleaned up so it’s easier for you all to do your job and have fun. My big thing is supporting you all and setting an example for everyone here.”

Having celebrated his 69th birthday recently, he said that he is ready to retire in a couple of years. But, in the meantime, he wants everyone to “come and sit down and talk, or smile and wave. With me, you can look down at your watch and see the time, but ask me and I’ll tell you a different one. We’ll talk about anything and everything.”