Role: I provide logistical and financial support to the Office of Fellowships, the Office of Academic Advising, the Office of Community Engagement and Civic Learning (CECL), the Office of Student Scholarship, Creative Activities and Research (OSCAR), UNIV courses and programs, and the Mason Impact initiative. I get to work across all of these teams that work separately and together to make the undergraduate experience at Mason truly one-of-a-kind.
Mason journey: I came to Mason late in 2017 after spending 10 years running movie theaters in Florida, Maryland, and Virginia. When I started, we were a team of seven full-time employees, and half of the offices mentioned above did not exist. Since then, we have grown to a team of 18 employees, with a growing number of graduate assistants and undergraduate student workers.
Getting back to campus: Like many of you, I am trying to plan for the “next normal” that the fall semester brings for myself and my team. The last year has taught us that we can function entirely virtually, so we are taking those lessons to try and be as innovative with our approach to daily work as we are with developing transformational curricula and programs. I am excited to see how a hybrid approach to achieving our mission can allow us to pick the best outcomes from both in-person and virtual work environments.
Best thing about working at Mason: Seeing how much effort faculty and staff put in to try and provide a unique experience at Mason. Our office provides close to $1 million in grant funding to undergraduate students each year, and I know that there are countless others on campus who are trying to find engaging ways to challenge our students and enhance the impact they will make in the world.
Why serve on the Staff Senate: I have gotten to meet so many people working so hard to raise the profile of classified and wage employees through Staff Senate, and I am hopeful that I can bring a little bit of an outside perspective to our work. It’s been wonderful seeing so many people attend our monthly meetings and engaging in the events we have been able to put on this past year. Hopefully we will all be able to safely get together real soon!
At the end of the day: I enjoy spending time with my family, playing soccer, and playing every kind of board/card/video/dice/tile/miniatures game you can imagine. I am so thankful for the work-life balance Mason provides so that I can indulge in all of my hobbies!