About
To meet with me, please schedule an appt. using the button on the right.
Awards:
Outstanding New Professional, 2013. North Carolina College Personnel Association.
STAR Award for Exemplary Leadership, 2019. Department of Psychology at the University of Michigan.
Distinguished Diversity Leaders Award, 2019. University of Michigan.
Excellence in Departmental Advising Award, 2021. College of Literature, Science, and The Arts at the University of Michigan.
Education:
M.Ed – Higher Education Student Affairs, The University of North Carolina-Greensboro, 2010
B.S. – Secondary Education, Grand Valley State University, 2005
Career Path:
All I ever wanted to do since I was a young child was become a teacher and make a difference in other people’s lives. Even though I was raised by two educators and was exposed to the joys and hardships of being a teacher, I didn’t have mixed feelings about my career path until my two semesters of student teaching. After graduating (and after ignoring that gut feeling that told me teaching wasn’t what I wanted to do), I started teaching middle school social studies in North Carolina. Let me rephrase this: I picked up and moved to rural NC to start teaching North Carolina history less than two weeks after graduating. I knew absolutely nothing about North Carolina history and I lived in Michigan suburbia my whole life! This leap of faith still boggles my mind! After about two years, I realized how truly unsatisfied I was in the classroom and starting doing more research on possible careers at colleges and universities. I actually remember the life changing moment when I literally googled “how to become an academic advisor.” I loved my college experience, so why wouldn’t I want to work at a college forever?!
After learning I’d need a Master’s degree, I enrolled in a local Student Affairs program without hesitation and I felt a huge weight being lifted. This is what I was meant to do. After earning the degree, I starting working at Forsyth Technical Community College, where I discovered my passion for working with diverse populations, first generation and at-promise students. Several years later, I moved back home to Michigan and worked at Washtenaw Community College prior to becoming an Academic Advisor in the Psychology Dept. here at UM.
Favorite Part of Working at UM:
The students are inspiring! I’m always blown away by the talent, potential, and passion UM students have for various areas in Psychology. I love hearing about what makes students tick and the goals they want to accomplish. I’m also grateful for the sense of community within the department—we really do enjoy our work and have a lot of fun together!
