Teka McKay is the new manager of the campus bookstore located in the Campus Center. McKay was born in San Diego, California. Her father served in the Navy and her family lived in a few different places before they settled in Brunswick. She graduated from Brunswick High School and went on to become both a certified medical assistant and a certified pharmacy technician. McKay has worked at the College for almost two years.

What brought you to the College of Coastal Georgia?

I was lucky, to be honest, finding my way to Coastal Georgia and the Barnes & Noble College Bookstore. COVID was not very kind to my family. I relocated from Atlanta back to Brunswick to help aid with my mother’s health. I applied for a part-time supervisor position with the bookstore, looking for something with a steady schedule that complemented my father’s schedule to be able to meet my mother’s needs. I was blessed to be offered the assistant manager position shortly after starting, and now I am the store manager.

What do you enjoy about working in the bookstore?

Getting to witness the journey students take. We get to see students come in for their first orientation, buy books for their first class, all the way through to being a part of their cap and gown purchases, and walking at graduation. We take pride in being a constant facility for every student coming onto campus.

What is the most frequent question you get at the bookstore?

“When can I use my financial aid?” is a question I feel I’m answering the most lately. Financial aid can be used in the bookstore to purchase books, classroom supplies—including laptops—and bookbags, but only during a specific time frame. It is open to use in the bookstore beginning a week before classes and a week after the first day of class. For this Fall, it will be open from August 7-21.

What do you wish more students knew about the bookstore?

I wish more students knew that they could go online to our website at ccga.bncollege.com to place their book order and shop for other school essentials. This gives them time to look at each of the class requirements without the feeling of being rushed, and they skip the long checkout lines that come from every other student buying their books. They place their order, wait for the email saying the order is ready for pick up, then come in with an ID to pick up that order.

What are you looking forward to for this upcoming school year?

I’m looking forward to partnering with the College to get more involved with events around campus. I’d love for students to see the bookstore as more than just a place to buy books, and more of a facility that is here to help them succeed on this journey they have chosen.

Any other thoughts about the bookstore and the services provided there?

There are some small changes coming to the bookstore that have not been finalized yet that I’ll be able to share at a later time. Keep a look out on our Instagram (@ccgabkstr) for when those changes take shape.

Any hobbies? What do you like to do to relax?

My fur baby, Slater, and my green babies are the two loves of my life. Since relocating back to Brunswick, I’ve really taken the time to build my knowledge of growing my own food. I’ve had a couple growing seasons now, and there’s a true feeling of accomplishment that can’t be put into words with gardening. Actually preparing/cooking vegetables that started out as seeds, and being able to harvest with your own two hands, isn’t something everyone in this generation experiences. Slater, who I adopted from the Human Society, is typically by my side while cultivating the green babies.