From the Desk Of Mandy Van Dijk-Hutt
Each month, one staff member from the Department of Internal Medicine will be highlighted in our staff recognition program called "From the Desk Of..." We are fortunate to have such talented staff members, and we want the rest of the department to get to know "the face behind the email."
April's featured staff member is Mandy Van Dijk-Hutt, a PS Administrative Assistant from the Division of Hematology.
- What is one fun fact about yourself? I have 2, I ride a motorcycle which I have named Wall-E and wear a bright pink helmet that has pigtails, and I am remodeling a 1980’s motorhome with my fiancé.
- What is your favorite motto/quote? “You must do the things you think you cannot do” Eleanor Roosevelt
- What is the best thing about working at the University of Utah? I love the department I work for, everyone encourages my ideas, and my currently being in school. I have a very supportive group of people I work with.
- What is your favorite book? A book called Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl. It has helped me on my journey to become an end-of-life doula.
- Do you have any pets? I have two dogs. A shitzu whose name is Groceries, she got that name because she eats all the time. And toy terrier named Lucy. She thinks she is a big dog and barks at all the neighbor dogs.
- Where do you work? I work at Huntsman Cancer Institute
- How do you prefer to start your day? I prefer to start my day with a guided meditation and a cup of coffee in my favorite cup.
- What was your first job? My first job was at the age of 12, ironing my dad’s shirts. I was paid 25 cents a shirt.
- What’s a typical day at work like? I work remotely and I find most of my days are enjoyed at my desk which is in front of a big picture window that looks out at my back yard, which I love because we have a garden and lots of flowers and I have easy access to the coffee pot. I assist my faculty with scheduling non clinical appointments, updating their CV’s and I maintain the faculty calendars for our department. I love my job!
- What’s the best part of your job? I like working with a company that gives so much to our patients. The people I work with and the faculty I support in the Hematology/Hematologic Malignancy department are wonderful. I also enjoy working from home because I feel most productive in the environment I have created for my office. It feeds my thought process and my soul.
- What book are you reading right now? I am currently reading “Klara and The Sun” by Kazuo Ishiguro. School is on a break and so right now I am able to read something other than a textbook.
- What is your favorite podcast and why? I don’t really to podcasts, but I do listen to a lot of Ted Talks.
- If you could snap your fingers and become an expert in something, what would it be? I think I would like to be an expert at construction. I enjoy remolding and building.
- What’s your superpower at work and at home? My superpower would be multitasking. For many years I was a single mother and had to juggle my kid’s schedules, work and home life. Now that they are all grown, I balance work, school full-time, home life, remodeling and wedding planning. I make a lot of lists.
- If you could have only three apps on your smartphone, what would they be? I would have KSL classified, (I have a slight addiction to that), Pinterest and Pandora.
- What is your favorite way to decompress after work? I have so many hobbies. I enjoy sewing, gardening, painting, working on our motorhome and my favorite, hiking.
- Do you collect anything? I am a bit of a minimalist. So I try not to collect anything, but I would have to say books. I love finding books at thrift stores.
- If you could eat only one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be? I would eat what we call Indonesian Rijstafel. It means Indonesian Rice Table. My grandmother was from Indonesia and a Rijstafel is several main dishes that you put on top of rice, like curry and vegetable dishes and meat with a peanut sauce. I have always cherished the recipes my grandmother put into a book for my family and I enjoy cooking them for people.
- Who would you want to play you in a movie about your life? Julia Roberts. I look nothing like her, but she has a big beautiful smile and I have always liked her versatility, emotion and honesty in her roles.