Why did you choose to work at UMD?
UMD is what brought me to Duluth in 1994. I've always enjoyed the community feeling on campus. After 20 years in K-12 education, I was ready for a change and between teaching and owning a small business, I knew I enjoyed project management. The accreditation officer role felt like a good fit and I can still walk to work!
What do you like most about your job?
What's not to like about accreditation? But seriously, I like finding flexibility in the framework, the logic puzzle of it all. Mostly, I enjoy helping to facilitate meaningful conversations that join compliance and creative ideas.
Do you have any advice for students?
Allow space to take the crooked path, I got my degree (after taking more than a year off to do AmeriCorps) in Communication Sciences and Disorders. Since then, I never was a speech pathologist but I have been a caregiver, cocktail waitress, retail clerk, community organizer, a teacher for K-adult and a tricycle-riding ice cream lady.