When did you first start working at WCC? What brought you here initially?
I started working at WCC in September of 1989. I had completed my associate degree at WCC and transferred to EMU in the early 1970’s. At EMU, I completed a BS in Psychology and then a Masters in Guidance and Counseling. After working for 9 years in the area of Employment and Training, I decided it was time for a change. I asked myself where I would be really excited to work, I immediately thought of WCC because I loved my time here as a student. I wanted to offer to students the kind of support that had been given to me. I got the position and it has been a wonderful 23½ years since then.
In your opinion, what is it about WCC that sets it apart from other colleges?
Washtenaw has had a wonderful reputation for offering quality education. I feel so fortunate and proud to have been a part of the WCC family which includes so many excellent faculty and staff members who have created this, “Miracle in the Apple Orchard.”
Can you describe your role here over the years at WCC?
I started as a counselor in the Counseling Department and after 12 years was asked by Dean Abernethy to be his Division Counselor for HSS. The ways in which I have felt most useful have been career counseling, advocating for students, counseling students in personal development and a being part of the HSBS Division. I do my best to build trust with our students so they know they can come to me with their concerns. I love it when I can help students solve problems, whether of a personal nature or helping them to navigate to the best campus resources for a particular issue.
As a division counselor, I have the added satisfaction of working closely with teaching faculty. They refer students to me for assistance with a variety of issues. I have provided classroom informational and career sessions in a number of the ACS and ENG classes.
Another thing I have especially enjoyed is supporting good opportunities for professional development. I appreciate the hard work of individuals such as Kim Shepherd and Julie Kissel who have both served in the role of planning and coordinating faculty in-service. I was happy when the FPDC was created and now they handle in-service. Though my input is small compared to these fine faculty members, I feel good about working with them in bringing presenters such as Marianne Auten who presented on the importance of mind set in student success and the organization of workspace (Kathleen Alessandro) and of course, my part in bringing the On Course Workshop I (Skip Downing) to our campus.
You are being honored as an OnCourse Ambassador of the year in the spring, can you share some of your experiences regarding OnCourse and how it has affected your teaching and advising?
The ideas in On Course are so connected with my counseling philosophy that I was powerfully drawn to it right away. It has been since 1980 that I finished my Masters in Guidance and Counseling at EMU. Though I had experienced wonderful professional development opportunities since then, On Course allowed me to feel renewed in motivation; in student-centered education and also provided some unique tools that help me to have more impact with students.
I think the On Course ideas that have been most useful to me in working with students are:
Victim/Creator (Personal Responsibility)
Goal Setting and Action Plans (Self-Management)
Learning to change self-defeating habits (Self-Awareness)
Understanding and managing emotions (Emotional Intelligence)
What people have inspired you both personally and professionally? Why?
My heroes are:
My Mom- She is still a warm, optimistic and active woman at 88 years of age, even though she had a difficult early life. She is my role model.
Dr. Louis Thayer, The late EMU Professor in the Guidance and Counseling Department was my favorite teacher had the greatest influence on my professional development.
Jane Goodall – In my next life, I will do the kind of life’s work like she has done in this one. She found and followed her passion and has impacted the way we view and treat our close relatives on this earth.
Gloria Steinem – She has been the clear voice for gender equality during my lifetime. Her life of service has touched my life in powerful ways.
Is there something you did here at WCC that you are really proud of?
I’m proudest of my efforts to help students solve problems, believe in themselves, and go for their dreams. I think of it as helping students identify the unique combination of personal qualities that when combined help them to find their way on a career path. I call it “Putting the Pieces Together”, as in assembling a puzzle. The real pride is in my students who are courageous in moving through this process and being true to themselves.
For you, personally, what were some of the most exciting times you have experienced here at WCC?
You know, there are so many and probably the best have been students succeeding through the support the college offers. That is so powerful and I am proud to have been a part of that.
Some of the most exciting times were experienced when I was a student here in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s. What an interesting time to be a student here. There was the newness of the college at the Willow Run campus and then here on the permanent site where the college went through its infancy and finding its way to become the place I came to love. During those years, there was the political climate around Ann Arbor, the Women’s Rights Movement, Vietnam war protests, falling in love with biology through taking Jim Strayer’s classes and reconnecting with nature on this beautiful campus. It was then that I developed an interest in photography. (Pun intended.) It seems that we were a diverse campus then as well as now. There were so many interesting people here including fellow students and pioneering faculty members who began the creating the “Miracle in the Apple Orchard.” What a rich environment to begin putting the pieces together for myself. I love this place!
What is your best advice for WCC students?
My advice for students: These are some of things that I have found helpful. I find it useful to revisit and relearn them at various points in my life.
Accept yourself and take responsibility for your life. Set goals and take action toward those goals you hold most dear. Identify your strengths and also the areas in which you could benefit from development. See failure as part of learning not as a sign that you should give up. Recognize that it is usually more important how you react to difficult events in life than the events themselves. Strive for excellence but not for perfection. Ask for help if you need it and offer it to others because few of us have reached great success without assistance along the way.
What are some of your dreams and goals for retirement?
I think that counseling can be a very creative process. I may find myself volunteering or working part-time in assisting people or protecting the environment. Helping is what I am meant to do. Other ways of expressing my creativity are through photography, gardening, creating ways for people to connect, and communing with nature. I have a wall hanging in our place in Boyne City and it reads: “Come forth into the light of things, let nature be your teacher.” Wordsworth. That really speaks to me at this time in my life.
So, it’s onward to new adventures and continued learning!
To Washtenaw Community College, I offer my best wishes for a future with healthy growth, quality education, creativity, collaboration, heart, and to always be one of the best places to work and be a student.
