About Me

During my undergraduate orientation, I remember looking at my best friend and deciding to go to a session about Hall Council and Student Government on a whim (nothing else sounded fun). From that session, I knew I wanted to be involved leadership during my time in school.

Following move-in, I ran for and served on hall council, which led me to connect with various mentors and peers that I wouldn't have otherwise. It was this involvement that eventually led me to an officer position in the National Residence Hall Honorary, which led to my passion for Housing and Residence Life work. From there, I began my professional journey in higher education by becoming a Resident Assistant and eventual Undergraduate Assistant Hall Director. By that point, I had considered and been convinced by mentors, to go to graduate school for Student Affairs. Moving to Kansas for graduate school inadvertantly was one of the best decisions I have made in my life. Not only have I had a tremendously positive experience in school; I have had nothing but amazing opportunities to connect and work with incredible professionals in the field.

So here I am, finishing up my PhD in Higher Education Administration. I'll rountinely reflect on what brought me here and how it has influenced my approach to my work. At the end of the day, the mentors I have had throughout my collegiate experience have shown me that one person can have a tremendous impact on others. In my personal statement for my PhD, I wrote that my "why" was to be impact students as professionals impacted me. I am beyond excited to complete my PhD, research my interests, and discover new opportunities for me to continute to positively impact students and professionals around the world.

Mentorship

Mentorship is one of those things that everyone sort of values, but to me; the impact mentorship has on individuals is foundational to the work I do. Every conversation, interaction, and goal is derived from a place of "how does this help me become a better mentor or develop them into a stronger mentor for someone else?"

Community Building

The phrase "it takes a village" resonates strongly with me and the work I do. Students need to have a community to connect with and lean on when life happens. As a professional in the field, it is my job to not only encourage connection, but actively foster it through my actions. Whether that is planning and facilitating large scale connection events (like Activities Carnival) or meeting 1:1 with students to catch up and give them a safe space to share; everything I do is built upon community.

Sense of Belonging

Hand-in-hand with Community Building, students rely on a strong sense of belonging to succeed in life and academics. There is plenty of research highlighting the importance of fostering a sense of belonging for students; mainly the positive relationship between it and success (both academically and personally). As a professional, ensuring student success relies on developing a sense of belonging for all students.