Graduate Internship Experience:
Career and Internship Services
Duration: August 2022 to May 2023
Institution: University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
Office: Career and Internship Services - Continuing and Professional Studies (CCAPS), College of Design (CDes), College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences (CFANS)
Professional Involvement: UMN Career Development Network (CDN), CDN D&I Committee, Minnesota College and University Career Services Association (MCUCSA), Minnesota Career Development Association (MCDA)
Graduate Assistantship Experience
ACCESS STEM, College of Science and Engineering
Duration: Aug 2021 to May 2022
Institution: St. Cloud State University
Office: Academic Collaboration and Coordination Model to Ensure Student Success in STEM (ACCESS STEM), College of Science and Engineering (COSE)
Co-curricular Involvement: NASPA, ACPA, CCSD Student Organization, CCSD Advisory Council
Undergraduate Experience
Undergraduate Learning Center, College of Engineering
Institution: University of Wisconsin-Madison, Class of 2018
Degree: B.S. - Double Major in Computer Engineering and Computer Sciences
Office: Undergraduate Learning Center (ULC), College of Engineering
Co-curricular Involvement: College of Engineering Programs & Events, Wisconsin Emerging Scholars Program (WES), Women in ACM, UHS, NCWIT, IEEE, SWE, Badminton Club
My Student Affairs Origin Story
Motivation to Pursue Student Affairs Career
Influential Experiences: ULC, iMentor, PwC
Influential People: Professors, Teaching Assistants, ULC Supervisors, Academic and Career Advisors
Graduating from UW-Madison’s undergraduate engineering and computer science programs (which are ranked top 20 by the US News & World Report), felt like a dream come true. As a computer engineering and computer science double major graduate from UW-Madison, not only did I take on highly rigorous full 18 credit semesters but I also graduated with a 3.603 GPA while earning recognition on the Dean’s Honor List for 7/8 semesters.
Even so, I credited (and still credit) my success to my professors, teaching assistants and tutors who spent time with me outside of lectures to help me thoroughly synthesize class materials. I thus decided that I wanted to give back to the student community by working as a tutor myself. It was then that I earned my job at the Undergraduate Learning Center as a calculus, computer engineering and computer science tutor. This was both my first job ever and also my first and formative experience within the field of student affairs whose influence inspires me to this day. I was also an active member of various student organizations on campus which afforded me opportunities to develop my soft skills, supplement my theoretical knowledge with practical applications and network with industry professionals and faculty alike. My involvement with WACM and the College of Engineering’s Programming directly contributed to my experience in student advocacy and professional development; both of which are a big focus of mine as I think about my work in the field of student affairs.
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When I started my first student affairs job as a tutor, I found that working as a tutor not only required a thorough understanding of complex concepts spanning various calculus, computer engineering and computer science topics, but also the ability to effectively communicate this knowledge to underclassmen and peers. It was through this job that I discovered my passion for student services; I always found myself going above and beyond to help my students. I would teach them about the pertinent topics at the forefront of their minds but then also help them visualize the bigger picture of overall academic and career development.
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As a minority in both my engineering and computer science majors and being a woman in a technology career, I have deep empathy for individuals with a different background from my own and every person’s unique circumstances. I have worked with students from diverse backgrounds and helped uplift them academically as well as professionally through my involvement at UW-Madison’s Undergraduate Learning Center, the iMentor program and various Diversity & Inclusion initiatives at PwC. I thus thought that the CCSD program would nicely complement my perspectives and educate me about student affairs best practices and social justice in the context of higher education which are critical in the creation of an environment conducive to student success and diversity & inclusion.