UH Manoa
Staff
In February 2005, Deborah Austin first landed in Hawai’i, after a friend had asked her to move from her home state of New Jersey.
She applied for Wackenhut Corporation (now G4S Secure Solutions), who informed her of a security position for a new development in Kaka’ako – the University of Hawai’i John A. Burns School of Medicine.
Austin, whose background was in hotel and restaurant management, jumped at the opportunity without any experience in security.
Within a year, she was promoted to lieutenant and received multiple accolades for her work ethic. The achievements caught the eye of her employer, who offered her a recruiting position and her own office. Although grateful for the opportunity, she remained at JABSOM.
Since the school was new at the time, she was tasked to run the custodial team on top of her responsibilities at the security desk. Six years later in 2011, she officially became a state worker, overseeing the custodial and landscaping teams at JABSOM.
“Every day I have a routine,” Austin said. “I’m here at 6:30 in the morning and I meet my team at 7:00. So once I meet them, I have our little talk, [share] a little joke. The first thing I ask them is how they’re doing. They’re waiting for me so they can get that morning energy.”
However, it wasn’t her role that impacted the JABSOM community, but who she was. Whether they were custodians or even school leadership, Austin made sure to include everyone in her circle.
“After I meet with them, I go floor to floor and check on my coworkers, and then check on the students,” she said. “Some people might have had a bad day, but when I come by, we laugh. Now they can go on and start their day.”
Over the past 21 years, she’s met families and friends of JABSOM students, faculty and staff, who affectionately call her “Miss Deb.”
She participated in yearly school traditions, such as New Student Orientation, Halloween Extravaganza and Christmas staff lunches. Some folks even had the opportunity to have dinner or travel with her.
Through these relationships, Austin found a second family.
“I done met moms, I done met husbands, wives, kids,” she said. “Everyone come and say, ‘Oh, where’s Miss Deb? Here she comes, the face of JABSOM,’ because I was here 24/7. I stayed here. This was a priority to me. This was number one. If I’m not here, I’m home. If I’m not home, I’m here.”
She always made time to see her family’s big milestones, traveling to and from the East Coast. Whether it was for a graduation party or a baby’s first birthday, she made sure to be there.
But just the thought of being away from her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren for an extended period of time was what led Austin to her decision to retire from JABSOM.
“I don’t know what I’m gonna do when I go back,” she said with a laugh. “I haven’t had the slightest idea. Right now, it’s just to go back home [and be with my family].”
She is thankful for the many years she spent at JABSOM, not only ensuring the maintenance of the school, but also uplifting the spirits of those who needed it.
“I’m grateful for everyone at JABSOM being there for me, knowing I was here by myself,” she said. “I’m grateful for the opportunity to be in a position to lead people, to teach people, to make people happy, to make people smile, to make people laugh. I am grateful for everyone accepting me, because I’m not from here, but I’m from here now. To come from an urban city to an island is nothing but God. God wanted me to hype these people up, get these people together. I was brought here for a purpose, and I thank Him everyday. I live a good life. There’s nothing for me to complain about. Nothing.”
View the photo gallery from Deb's retirement party below: 