Spencer Meyle is one of three individuals being recognized by the Office of Institutional Access this December as part of our Staff Appreciation Month celebration. Meyle is a Lead Custodian within MSU Infrastructure Planning and Facilities who is in charge of the maintenance of Berkey Hall, home of the College of Social Science. In addition, Meyle is a 2023 graduate of the College with a degree in Human Resources and Labor Relations. He also holds an associate’s degree in Business Administration from Lansing Community College.
After graduating from LCC, Meyle was persuaded by his brother to look into furthering his education and working at Michigan State. The pair had just moved to town for his brother to start his own job at the university. “He told me to try and get a job at MSU because I was really into recycling,” he explained. Meyle is passionate about the environment and ‘serving Mother Earth,’ as he puts it, and even started a Recycling Club as a student at LCC. Meyle’s brother told him about Michigan State’s own advocacy for environmental sustainability and recycling.
As a Native American belonging to the Cherokee and Sioux tribes, Meyle also appreciated MSU’s acknowledgement that it was founded on Anishinaabe Land ceded in the 1819 Treaty of Saginaw and the 1836 Treaty of Washington, and their subsequent efforts to support local Indigenous communities. His family are close friends with John Winchester, an Indian rights activist who played a prominent role in increasing the enrollment of Native American students at Michigan State.
Meyle began work full-time as a custodian while earning his HRLR degree. He has been the team lead for Berkey Hall custodial services for five years now. One of Meyle’s favorite parts of his job is his ability to contribute to making Berkey Hall a clean, safe and welcoming space. “Sometimes I don’t mind a big mess, because you can make a positive, noticeable difference with just a little bit of work,” he explained. “It makes people feel more welcome, more comfortable, and creates a better environment for students to learn in.”
He also enjoys being able to meet and talk with the diverse groups of students, staff and faculty he encounters each day. He makes an effort to greet them when they come into the building, or strike up a conversation if a student is sitting alone or looks distressed. “I can talk with an economics graduate student in the basement, then ride the elevator with somebody studying social work,” he said. “The professors, the administrators, the students … Everybody is amazing. They’ve been very nice. It makes it easy to come to work.”
Diversity is very important to Meyle, and he is grateful to work in a place where it is also valued and recognized.
“I love the different lenses the students see the world through. I love the signs that the professors have on their doors. They say things like, ‘Hate Has No Home Here,’ and make me feel happy that I chose to come and work here. They made me feel so welcome when I first came to work in Berkey, and they remind me of home.”
Honorees’ views are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the College of Social Science.