Even years later.

“I get to meet everyone on their first day at Quinnipiac, which is very exciting,” Monteiro said from the polished conference table where she welcomes new employees each Monday.

“But first days can be nerve-racking, too, so I try to make sure that everyone feels comfortable because we go over a lot of things,” she added. “I take great pride in telling everyone that I’m their resource — and I really mean it.”

For nearly 12 years, Monteiro has been the smiling face of orientation and more at the Office of Human Resources on Mount Carmel Avenue. On October 22, she will be recognized with her fellow Center for Staff and Faculty Excellence honorees at a special awards ceremony on the York Hill Campus.

Monteiro, one of this year’s six recipients, will tell you it was destiny, or maybe providence, that led her to Quinnipiac. Even before she was hired, Monteiro was collaborating with the Office of Human Resources.

As an account manager at Anthem, Monteiro came to Quinnipiac’s health fairs and worked closely with Anna Spragg, Laura Lepeska and others in HR.

“In my previous role, I did a lot of traveling, so it’s really hard when you have two young kids,” Monteiro said. “At the time, my daughter was 6 and my son wasn’t quite 2. I loved what I did, but it was time for a change. This was a really good opportunity because I was already familiar with a lot of the people.”  

The bonds of friendship, respect and admiration have only grown.

“In the 10-plus years that Tina has worked in Human Resources at QU, she has gone above and beyond in her role(s),” Lepeska wrote in her Center for Staff and Faculty Excellence nomination remarks. “Besides excelling in her job responsibilities, she also twists herself into a pretzel to accommodate new employees for their orientations, including running over to Facilities to orient their new employees on their time.”

Lepeska also wrote about Monteiro recently becoming certified as a True Colors facilitator to help build successful, collaborative teams all across Quinnipiac. In fact, Monteiro has presented her three-hour workshop to departments in the School of Health Sciences, the School of Nursing, Residential Life, Human Resources and elsewhere.

And don’t forget working Commencement every year, including 13 ceremonies in 2021 when the pandemic delayed the on-ground graduation for the Class of 2020.

“Tina is truly an unsung hero for her dedication to the university, and she is most deserving of this Staff Excellence Award,” Lepeska wrote.

For Monteiro, it’s about giving back to Quinnipiac and the people who have given her so much.

“A big part of my job is to make sure people transition well to the university because that's what we want,” she said. “We want people to successfully come in and be a part of our Bobcat family.

“The funny thing is, my dad always used to say I was going to end up talking for a living. I even earned ‘Most Talkative’ in my senior superlative in high school,” Monteiro said with a grin. “But I’m doing what I love to do. I love to be a person who helps people. Oh my gosh, if people didn’t feel HR was approachable, that would make me feel very sad.”

This fall, Monteiro’s daughter, Bianca, joined her at Quinnipiac as a first-year nursing student. Her son, JT, is still a few years away from forging his future plans.

“I’m super proud of my daughter and super excited for her to be here,” Monteiro said. “She’s enjoying every minute of it, so that’s all you want for your kids, right?”

In three weeks, Monteiro will be joined by her children, her parents and her husband, Jason Tynes, in the University Club for a night they will never forget.

“I definitely think there’s something special about being here and how people are so welcoming all the time,” Monteiro said. “Ever since I started working here, I’ve always felt very supported in my role at the university. That’s something I try to pass along to everyone else, too.”