A MULTITUDE OF HIGHER EDUCATION SKILLS IN DIVERSE TYPES OF HIGHER EDUCATION SETTINGS.

I was given a part-time job opportunity at Regent University, a small Christian university located in Virginia Beach, Virginia.  That opportunity sparked my interest and passion to work in higher education as a career.  I began working in Enrollment Management with the admissions team as a Transcript Request Coordinator.  This was my first experience in an admissions department and I witnessed all of the deadlines and pressure that admissions departments have to meet their goals. 

When I relocated to Rhode Island I was fortunate to be hired into the position of Student Services Associate at Johnson & Wales University, a private four-year university located in Providence, Rhode Island.  This position was working with already admitted and attending students.  I worked with all colleges within the university and many different faculty members, administrators, and students.  It was in this position that I began to recognize the importance of shared governance and the idea of the university being a loosely coupled system. 

I was promoted to Transfer Advisor where I evaluated and awarded transfer credit and wrote articulation agreements with other institutions.  My experience at these two institutions, coupled with what I learned the Master of Education program at Northeastern University have made them my most impactful experiences to date.  I have been able to consider my experience while learning about theory and look forward to applying what I have learned in a university setting.

SKILLS GAINED: Systems thinking, Written and oral communication, Creative problem solver, Innovation with technology, Administrative university systems, Research application 

IMPACT: The most impactful experience I have had!  The combination of the diversity between the two institutions, my life experience, and my education have allowed me to advance my understanding of the field of higher education and how to be a change agent in the future. 

I had the opportunity to complete a case study on the faculty development programs at the University of New Hampshire.  This case study allowed me to consider research and data, along with my own experience.  Please find this case study linked below.