Hometown: Royal Oak area of Michigan, St. Charles,
Missouri and Killeen, TX
College(s) attended: Central Tx Comm College, Central Michigan Univ.,
UT Austin
Job title(s) and
department(s) past and present: Past: Undergraduate Academic Advisor at McCombs School of
Business / Present: 360 Program Coordinator in the First-Year Experience Office
in UGS
How did you end up at UT
in the first place? I was interested
in leaving my position at Ford Motor Company and working in higher education in
some way and some McCombs Academic Advisors (Cole Holmes, Cindy
Bippert, Michael Schuetz, Jeff Jackson) I worked with when I was an
undergraduate business student and Peer Advisor suggested I consider applying
to an Academic Advisor I position that was posted.
What is your favorite
part or being a part of ACA? The people who participate in ACA meeting and events are
people who care about what happens to students as they navigate their
undergraduate degrees. Because of this common interest, no matter what ACA
event or meeting I attend, I know that I will have something in common with
someone there. Being around other ACA members makes me feel like I am with
"my people". :-)
Here's where we'd like
an anecdote about a favorite ACA memory or a memory that includes another ACA
member. I cannot name one
single favorite memory of time spent with another ACA member, but here are some
that come to mind: walking through the old, original "strip" in Vegas
(I don't remember what that area is called!) during one evening of a NACADA conference
with Lovelys Powell, Theresa Thomas, Cindy Bippert, Melva Harbin, and so many
other members who were able to attend. Getting to visit with and meet advisors
and ACA members around campus through Advising Expo days as we all staffed
tables around West Mall, FAC patio, South Mall, or Speedway. Answering random
questions of students registering during the last day of new student
orientation each summer, in whatever computer lab students are able to register
in, alongside other advisors and ACA members. We are all delirious and tired by
this time in the week of orientation, but we are wired on energy and one time I
accidentally fell out of a chair I was sitting in, in the McCombs reading room
and Andi Poag laughed so hard which started us both laughing uncontrollably.
What advice would you
give to new advisors or new staff members at UT? Go to any event on campus you see that you
are able to fit into your schedule and your supervisor allows you to attend.
This allows you to explore campus and get to know not only your surroundings,
but people who work in different capacities that you will inevitably interact
with at some point. If you really want to build a network, join a professional
organization, like ACA, and join a committee. By working on a committee to
bring an event to life, faces in a room turn into acquaintances, and very
quickly, these acquaintances evolve into friendships or enriching professional
relationships. UT Austin is a campus rich with heart and this heart is revealed
through relationships made with colleagues.
What legacy would you
like to leave behind at UT? I would like leave a legacy of having heart. In whatever way I
have engaged on this campus as an undergraduate, professional, and graduate
student, I have engaged fully and devoted as much of my heart as possible to
every endeavor. Completing a task is something that people do all day long and
what I work to do is always complete a task with heart. I suppose I would
define "heart" with these characteristics: passion, compassion, and
strength.
Anything else you want
to tell us? Even when I am not at a
meeting, conference or event with other ACA members, I am supporting you all. I
believe in the mission of the organization and value the work each member does
on this campus. We all work in varying, unique capacities and that is what I
find amazing. Together, the members of ACA are wealth of expertise and an
incredible force. Thank you for the work you do to enrich the experiences of
the students on this campus!
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