My Story

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When I was sixteen, I knew exactly what I wanted to be when I grew up - an English professor. Since childhood, I had spent all of my free time reading. The grammar and mechanics of language came easy to me, and I enjoyed writing, both academically and recreationally. Fast forward eleven years, and I was graduating with my MA in English and starting work in a community college writing center and as an adjunct English instructor. During the fifteen years I worked in these two roles, I applied for every opening in my area for English professors. One day, I'd experienced enough rejections and gave up on that professional goal, but that left me unsure of where to place my focus and ambitions. 

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I found a mentor in administration willing to give me opportunities to be involved in the service work of the college beyond the scope of my position and who encouraged me to consider an administrative track to my career instead of a faculty one. When a coordinator position of academic support services opened, I knew this was my opportunity to explore that new career path and see if it fit. To my surprise, I loved it even more than teaching. Still directly connected to students, I got to support them in a different way. Since I am no longer teaching, I have more time to invest in research, analysis, and professional development. 

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In August 2023, I start a doctoral program - Doctor of Education in Innovation and Leadership with an emphasis on higher education change leadership in the Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College at Arizona State University - where I will explore how to better serve today's (and tomorrow's) students through intra- and inter-institutional collaboration to design academic support services with their unique and changing needs at the heart of both design and delivery.