Office Hours is a series focusing on unique artifacts that BYU employees display in their offices.
When you step into Brooke Anderson’s office, it’s hard to know where to look first.
Crocheted animals, a wall of BYU 150 stickers, tiny dinosaurs, colorful rocks and floating balloons fill the space. For Anderson, Assistant Director of Advisement for BYU’s College of Computational, Mathematical, and Physical Sciences, each object carries a story and a memory.
After 12 years in the same office, Anderson has slowly filled the space with items tied to the people, experiences and relationships she has built at BYU.
Near her desk sit two crocheted “emotional support chickens” made by Karin Mallard — one a White Elephant gift and the other one Anderson bought after loving the first so much. Nearby is an “emotional support dumpster fire” plush, a humorous reminder of Anderson’s belief that “sometimes all you can do is laugh at the hard stuff.”
One of the room’s most noticeable features is a cupboard covered in BYU 150 stickers. Anderson made it her mission to collect every sticker released during the university’s 150th anniversary celebration. Eventually, coworkers across campus joined the hunt.
Another conversation starter is her “BYUty and the Beast” poster, a playful illustration that combines Beauty and the Beast characters with recognizable BYU landmarks, including Cosmo as the Beast. Students often notice it during appointments, and Anderson enjoys pointing out details they may have missed, along with her BYU Y snowflake nearby.
Many of the objects in Anderson’s office serve a purpose beyond decoration. She has collected rocks, science toys and keepsakes representing each of the college’s seven academic departments, and she keeps fidget toys nearby to help make advising appointments a little more welcoming and interactive for students.
“I really love my students, and I’m committed to my college,” Anderson said. “So it’s fun to represent each department in different ways.”
The collection that may say the most about Anderson, however, is tucked away in a drawer. Filled with tiny dinosaurs, ducks and other miniature figurines, it is a supply she uses to hide surprises throughout the Eyring Science Center and across campus for students to find.
“When I walk by later and they’re gone, I get so excited because I know somebody found them,” Anderson said. “Hopefully it made them smile. That’s really my goal. I just want to brighten someone’s day.”
Whether it’s a handmade gift, a campus keepsake or a tiny dinosaur waiting to be discovered, each addition to Anderson’s office helps create the welcoming space she hopes students experience.
“I love working with students,” Anderson said. “They’re so fun to get to know. I love hearing their stories and helping them along their way. It’s just incredibly rewarding.”
