Meet Terry: Higher education and student affairs

I joined the HESA program because over the course of 12 years I developed a career in student success, essentially moving from position to position. I eventually made my way to Kellogg Community College, where I currently serve as the manger of recruitment and student outreach in the admissions office. Joining the HESA program was easy because I had worked with folks who had graduated from the program and based on testimonials alone from them, everyone had great things to say about the program and supports that were provided. Also the content that helped prepare them for a career, and for that reason I thought it would be a perfect fit for me.    

The program is currently helping me in my role at Kellogg Community College. As manager of recruitment and student outreach, I work to admit and advise our international students, also I oversee the selective admissions program. I'm ensuring our admissions processes, according to the direction of our director of admissions, is sound. And so, I feel that working with a diverse community college population that I currently serve, that the learnings from the program are beneficial. Every class so far, from foundations to student development theories to DEI in higher education has been good because I can take what I've learned and apply it directly to my position.   

It is good because you follow along with the same folks and develop together, share ideas and have familiarity that I think is inducive to conversation. For me, as a full-time employee who is also going to graduate school part-time I lose out on a little bit of that connection that I just mentioned. But that is okay because I am in classes with folks who are not necessarily in our cohort, but are phenomenal professionals and soon to-be professionals. I really appreciate the program and support that has been offered by the cohort model.  

From the very first class that I took as part of the HESA program I feel that each of my professors are intelligent, experienced, caring and aware. They understand the profession very deeply and for that reason I believe that when they are providing instruction based off of effective research based practices that they are also able to add an extra touch of application. I find myself always asking questions that don't necessarily pertain to the readings because I want to continue to draw from that expertise that they have.

I'm currently in a course with Dr. Donna Talbot and I'm amazed every class period just the wealth of knowledge and experience that she has, and I'm just looking forward to the professors that I'm soon to meet.      

I am the manager of recruitment and student outreach at Kellogg Community College in the admissions department. In this role I manage our selective admissions programs, so I support our program specialist in evaluating applications, ranking in scoring applicants and delivering admissions decisions. It is a really fun part of my job; especially when you get to call that alternate student who’s been waiting for that call. Also in this role, I admit and advise our international students of which we currently have nine. I work closely with these students to assure that they can maintain their legal F-1 status and to basically ensure that they receive the resources that they need to be successful while studying you know in a foreign country. It’s very rewarding work and I feel like I learn a lot, all the time.

I also manage a small but mighty team of student workers in our hub enrollment center and so it’s another opportunity for me to apply my experiences in building people up just to assist in shaping them and preparing them for the roles that they are yet to achieve.