my journey

My educational program plan initially consisted of Writing Rhetoric and Technical Communications, Communications Studies, Art, and Media Arts and Design. It slowly transformed to include more WRTC courses with a few SCOM and ART classes in between. I eventually dropped the SMAD direction but not the desire for media arts. I found several classes within the WRTC program, and CIS that satisfied my desire to learn more about the web and design.

Later, I had the options to incorporate some of the instructional design and technology classes offered through the LTLE program. This offered me a well rounded education to complete my revised program plan.

At times, I question why I never furthered my education at an earlier time, but then I realize that if I didn't wait, I wouldn't have the opportunities that I have received and been able to successful use what I learned through my JMU education in my current professional environment.

Work Experience

JMU Centennial Scholars Program

• Program Administrator
  • Feb 2016 - present

Duties include supervision and training of the Graduate Assistant Administrative staff and volunteer staff, managing the customer service provided to our incoming students and families and current Centennial Scholars' students, coordination of the graduate and undergraduate interview processes, managing the department website and databases, planning and implementation of all CSP events, and managing the office

JMU Orientation

• Assistant Director of Orientation Systems
  • Sept 2013 - Jan 2016
• Assistant Director of Operations
  • Oct 2011 - Sept 2013
• Administrative & Operations Specialist
  • Feb 2008 - Oct 2011

Duties include or have included supervision of the Operations Manager, managing the customer service provided to our incoming students and families, supervision of student staff, coordination of the One Book web team, overseeing departmental operations from development to implementation, facilitation for internal and external trainings of the Orientation technical systems, customer service trainings of all Orientation student staff from small groups of around 20 to large groups of 300 plus, and management and troubleshooting of the orientation database systems, such as the online reservation and the One Book web steps.

JMU Sponsored Programs

• Grant Specialists
(IACUC, Web and Budget Coordinator)
• Aug 2004 - Feb 2008

Responsible for designing and maintaining the office website, maintaining the office budget and reconciliations, coordinating the animal research proposals approval process and lab inspections, and back-up grant specialist for reviewing submitted grant proposals.