HOW DID YOU GET HERE?
My first semester in college, I took a class called Community Service and Civic Responsibility. It resonated with all of the community service I had done through the years with 4-H and many other activities. I stayed on as a volunteer teaching assistant and became engaged with student activities and building a volunteer office. I loved the campus environment and having deep discussions with students about topics that they are passionate about. Fast forward to my time in graduate school when I worked in both the Career Counseling office and Career Services at the University of Kansas, and with the Kansas Department of Education to equip high school and college age students to impact their communities through service. I have been in different areas of career services ever since. Careers, passion, experiential education, cooperative education, internships, civic responsibility, it's all part of my career journey and the reason that I love the work that I do.
WHAT DO YOU LIKE MOST ABOUT WORKING AT THE CCO?
The amazing folks in our office and all across campus that care about the student career journey and want students to find authentic experiences that help them redefine who they are how they want to impact the world of work.
WHAT IS THE MOST UNUSUAL JOB YOU EVER HAD?
I once worked for the customer service line for the FAFSA. Only happy people call that number!
FAVORITE THINGS:
Authentic feelings, ocean air, kind words and kind people, truth and transparency, fairness, good food, children and babies (I love babies) and meeting people from all over the world.
ADVICE FOR STUDENTS:
College is a time of exploration and pushing the boundaries of your comfort zone. Use your summers well, unless you're a teacher, you won't have them when you're older. So explore, travel, study abroad, take an internship far away. Engage, find your people. Build authentic relationships with folks that are different from you. It's hard to figure out who you are if you haven't had many experiences to learn about yourself.
