Student Employee Spotlight: Rhandi “Skhi” Tates

Known to friends and coworkers as Skhi, Rhandi Tates brings curiosity and determination to her work at UTA Libraries. As a student assistant in UTA Libraries' Library Systems and Technology (LS&T) Department, Skhi helps students, faculty, staff, and visitors overcome technology challenges and find solutions that keep them moving forward. 
 

Whether she is troubleshooting a computer, responding to a support request, or helping a colleague resolve an issue, Skhi plays an important role in supporting the daily work of the Libraries community. 

 
"Our job is to help whenever someone runs into a technology issue," Skhi said. "We work as a team to troubleshoot the problem and find the best way to resolve it." 

 
Much of Skhi's work happens behind the scenes, but its impact is felt throughout the Libraries. Every solution helps someone continue teaching, learning, researching, or serving others. 

For Skhi, solving problems at UTA Libraries is also preparing her to solve challenges beyond campus. 

 
An engineering major in Resources and Energy Engineering, Skhi hopes to one day design technologies that improve air and water quality while creating more sustainable communities. 

 
"I really want to build machines for the environment," she said. "I want to be able to purify the air and water and create a newer and more sustainable future." 

 
Her passion for engineering grew from her love of plants and her desire to create solutions that have a lasting impact. 

 
"My big drive is plants," Skhi said. "But it's also to help create a better future for future children and promote a healthier way of living." 

 
After graduating from UTA, Skhi hopes to continue her education through graduate research and eventually collaborate with researchers working on environmental technologies. 

Growing Through Every Challenge 

 
Skhi's journey at UTA Libraries began in Access and Discovery, where she worked on resource sharing projects, including packaging and scanning books sent to other libraries. She later transitioned to LS&T, where she found an opportunity to combine her interest in technology with her desire to help others. 

For Ralph Castro, Technology Support Specialist, Skhi's positive attitude and problem-solving skills have made her a valuable team member. 

"She comes in with a great attitude and a willingness to do whatever needs to be done," Castro said. "She won the student award in Access and Discovery, and she's working with us for the summer. The transition has been seamless. She has a tremendous work ethic and fills the gaps we have for student workers." 

 
Castro said Skhi has also earned praise from those she supports. 

 
"She has been getting consistent compliments from all of our customers," he said. "She has a knack for consistently figuring out complex problems by herself." 

 
Skhi said Castro's approach has helped her grow by encouraging her to think through challenges and find solutions independently. She also appreciates the time Castro takes to support student employees beyond their daily responsibilities. 

 
"He takes us to the side, and he makes us think about things other than work," she said. "He'll ask us about our life goals and what he wants to help us with so we can achieve those goals." 

 
Driven by Family 

 
Behind Skhi's determination is the unwavering support of her family, who inspired her to pursue her goals. 

 
For Skhi, earning a degree is more than completing a program. It is about honoring her parents' sacrifices and setting an example for her younger sister. 

 
Growing up, Skhi often helped care for her family while her parents worked, making dinner, helping around the house, and looking after her younger sister. 

 
"Almost everything I do is based on my family," she said. "Me pursuing college and progressing in school, it's all for my parents so they can know all the risks they took were worth it." 

 
After graduating in the top 10 percent of her high school class with more than a 4.0 GPA, Skhi entered college with high expectations for herself. 

 
The transition was challenging. 

 
"I was trying to tell myself that I needed to have all A's all the time," she said. "College was so new, and it was hard." 

 
Through it all, her motivation remained the same. 

 
"I really want to make my parents proud," she said. 

A Moment She'll Never Forget 

 
At the UTA Libraries Spring Reception on April 30, Skhi was named the Spring 2026 Outstanding Student Employee for her work in Access and Discovery's Resource Access Unit. 

The recognition came during a time when Skhi was still adjusting to college and questioning whether she was making progress. 

 
"I was so shocked because ever since high school, I guess I had such a huge thing with education," she said. "But when I came to college, I was having such a hard time keeping that up." 

 
The award reminded her that success can look different from what she expected. 

 
"Despite it not being academics, it still felt big to me because I was inspired just to keep going," she said. "Getting that award helped me see that I was actually making progress." 

 
The recognition also became a special moment for her family. 

 
"My mom was crying," Skhi recalled. "Then about a week later, my dad called just to tell me he was proud of me. That made me cry because that's what I always strived for." 

Building Toward Tomorrow 

 
Outside of her work and studies, Skhi enjoys writing poetry, building miniature dioramas, sketching designs, collecting antiques and tiny objects, and learning new musical instruments. 

Her creativity also shapes her engineering interests. In high school, she designed a self-watering plant shelf that used hydroponics and automated irrigation to support plant growth and improve indoor air quality. 

 
Although the project faced challenges during its final presentation, Skhi said the experience reinforced an important lesson: every problem is an opportunity to learn. 

 
That mindset continues to guide her at UTA Libraries. 

 
Every day, Skhi helps students, faculty, staff, and visitors overcome technology challenges so they can continue the work they come to campus to do. While many people may never see the solution at work behind the scenes, they feel its impact. 

 
Through her work at LS&T, Skhi is helping others succeed today while building the skills and confidence to create solutions for tomorrow.