Day in the life: Rashna Charania

A day in the life of Rashna Charania means "the fun has just begun." This was a winning answer on the Wheel of Fortune game show this February when Charania was a contestant, but most days you can find her presiding over reservations at the University Club, not hauling on an oversize money wheel.

Charania is the assistant manager for the University Club of Victoria (formerly the Faculty Club), which opened its doors in 1967. She joined the staff in 1981 when the club was still housed in an old army hut. Her office was in the games room—it was really only a desk next to the billiard table. She initially provided accounting services, working part time while her three children were young, and now has so many heartwarming recollections of UVic, particularly with her daughters and son being alumni themselves.

One of her favourite memories is a club celebration when UVic Professor Emeritus Dr. Reg Mitchell (aka "Dr. Zonk") was ceremoniously thrown in the club's pond. The pond was subsequently christened "Mitchell's Moat." Another time, smoke from birthday candles triggered the fire alarm and all guests had to vacate the club.

When she is not busy promoting the club as a place of choice for dining, meeting and celebrating on campus, Charania oversees the members' billing system and also manages the menu selections and coordinates the many functions including weddings, conferences, anniversaries and the annual Valentine's Dinner Dance, Lobster Nights, and Mother's Day Brunch. The club has welcomed dignitaries from the Prince of Brunei to Prince Andrew and David Foster. Usually the busiest days of the year are summer months with weddings and convocation time with faculty receptions. And the University Club is looking for even more business, offering a one-year free membership to anyone on campus who has never been a member before.

Before joining the club, Charania arranged bus tours across Canada and the US for Vancouver Island Coachlines. This stint in customer service has served her well, and she still finds the most job satisfaction from "making people happy. I love meeting members. I've known them for so many years, and have built great relationships and strong bonds with them."

For Charania and her husband, a retired BC Buildings Corporation director, their three-year-old grandson is the "love of our lives." Charania was born in Bombay, now Mumbai. Travelling is her second passion, after family. She has visited China, Europe, Chile and soon will take a cruise from Auckland to Sydney, Australia. She has yet to journey to Egypt and Russia, but those are next on her bucket list.

She also plays bridge and devotes herself to volunteer work. She is a Rotarian and received the CFAX Citation Rose in 1999 for community service.

As for the Wheel of Fortune, she won $6,400 that day, and although her earnings were 38 per cent less after taxes, she says, "Who cares? It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience."

With such an exuberant outlook, it's obvious that the fun will just keep on coming.