Where are you working right now?
I serve as a graduate assistant for Becker College in the Office of Residence Life and Student Conduct. I generally provide assistance in RA training and recruitment, as well as student housing and other operations and events that take place throughout the year.

What do you love about working there?
Coming from Westfield State University where there were over 5,000 undergraduate students, where Becker has a little over 2,000 students, so it becomes a more personal experience. Everyone knows your name and you’re able to create better relationships with the students, which is key working in Residence Life.
The staff has also been a great time to work with. Working together, we’ve become a pretty close knit group and it is just overall a more enjoyable time to do our jobs.

When you aren’t working, how do you spend your free time?
When I’m not working at Becker, I like to try and stay active so I work as a parking valet. When I’m not doing that, I enjoy to go out to the movies, hiking, listening to music, and just started to get into cooking more.

What is your favorite grad school class and why?
Last semester I had the opportunity to take an ethics class at Westfield State and it was the most intriguing class I’ve taken yet. Ethics is surprisingly something that surrounds us in whatever line of work you are in. Being able to look deeper into the subject and how important it is, this is something I plan on taking into my career in Higher Education.

Who inspired you to get involved in Higher Education?
During my undergrad, I was fortunate enough to work for Dr. Laurie Simpson, the Director of Academic Advising at my institution. I began as a peer advisor for three years, and in my last semester she offered me the opportunity to be a graduate assistant in her office. Throughout the years she has mentored me to prosper and grow as a professional and individual. It was at that time I realized she was my role model and I inspired be someone like her. My interest for Higher Education took off once I had the chance to have a more professional and more involved role working with the students.

What is the most valuable lesson you have learned in your career (so far)?
Working in Higher Education, it has taught me that it is okay to ask questions. What I’ve learned so far is that there are things you’re not going to know the answer to and that’s okay, but asking questions is very helpful. People in this type of work are always open to providing you with the resources and tools to make sure you are learning something everyday.

What is on your Higher Ed bucket list?
It has always been a major career goal for me to become a department director for a higher educational institution. I long to be able to have the opportunity to overlook and to represent a department, especially in Residence Life.

What advice would you offer to undergraduate seniors who are staring to search for grad programs?
Choosing to attend graduate school is a more than rewarding opportunity. I would highly suggest for anyone to search for a graduate assistantship. These programs are great in giving you the chance to be able to attend graduate school, and gain professional experience as well.

Johnathan Atkinson

Where are you working right now?

I am a graduate assistant at Montserrat College of Art in the Department of Campus Life. I supervise four resident assistants, and serve as a conduct officer. Alongside being the advisor to the student government known as Montserrat Student Voice.

What do you love about working there?

The student population is absolutely the best part of my job working at Montserrat, the opportunity that I have to learn from my students and realizing that they have as much to offer me as I do them.  Also working at a small institution reminds me of my alma mater and why that’s important is as small colleges we get to know our students one-on-one in that connection I help students.

When you aren’t working, how do you spend your free time?

My free time is spent by going to the movie theaters, catching up on Netflix, enjoying a really good NBA game and hanging out with friends.

What is your favorite grad school class and why?

I would have to say my favorite class so far is student development theory because my goal is to help students reach their full potential and be the best part of themselves.  The theories give me a framework for how students may identify and development gives me an opportunity to help students move forward.

Who inspired you to get involved in Higher Education?

I was one of the most involved students in my undergraduate institution, (Mitchell College) I had the unique opportunity to work in just about every department and find my passion in student affairs work. But I would have to say the two people that inspired me to go to grad school and to really pursue a career would have to be my supervisors and mentors Jamia Danzy and Isaac Newsome. They saw potential in me, as resident assistant they both helped me give me direction.

What is the most valuable lesson you have learned in your career (so far)?

Adversity defines one’s character it all depends on how we choose to overcome the hard times.

What is on your Higher Ed bucket list?

My career goals are to reform the education process in our country, for education to focus more on individual’s needs so that each person can learn in a student-centered environment which strengthens and develops students to reach their highest potential. I think that if I were the president of a college, I would be able to make strides on a smaller scale as a model for what would work in higher education in our country. There are individual learning styles and not everyone learns the same way, so if we have a system in which each student can access their learning via their own style, they will be more successful in reaching their goals. This would escalate us as a society, to reach and find new abilities that we haven’t yet attained. I think as a student with a diagnosed learning difference, I have had to overcome a lot of adversity with how to learn and what works best for me. I want to see students succeed, to achieve the most they can possibly achieve, because college is the most critical time to develop a sense of self, and it can easily make or break an individual. So if students are shown how utilize all the resources available, as I have, they will be more successful in college and beyond.

What advice would you offer to undergraduate seniors who are starting to search for grad programs?

My advice to undergraduate seniors pursuing is to look for grad school early on in your senior year so you have options. Also look for programs with fellowships and assistantships so you can get the opportunity to put theory into practice.

Christina Mchugh

Where are you working right now?

-I am currently a graduate assistant at New England College in the office of Diversity and Inclusion along with the staff advisor for Adventure bound which is a student run organization that facilitates school programs along with our educational ropes course. I collectively oversee approximately 60 students.

What do you love about working there?

-The close-knit family feel is extremely important because I came from a fairly small undergraduate program and high school. New England College is in a small secluded rural area, close enough to a larger city, and yet has a small-town feel. The staff, faculty, and students have made me feel included and welcomed from the first day I stepped foot on campus. I am encouraged daily by my peers, students, and mentors to strive for success.

When you aren’t working, how do you spend your free time?

-My free time is spent by seeing athletic games collegiate and professional. Growing up in a predominantly male household, I have become accustomed to enjoying athletic games. I also, enjoy cooking. A typical Sunday night involves football on the tv, and something in the oven.

What is your favorite grad school class and why?

-My favorite grad class thus far would have to be helping and advising college students. My dreams and goals are to inspire the younger generations to have goals and dreams, then achieve them. In this course I was encouraged to have the uncomfortable conversation with a student, then how to advise them to the best of my abilities.

Who inspired you to get involved in Higher Education?

-To be frank, it was myself. My undergraduate degree was something I knew when I was a senior I was no longer passionate about. I, then realized I should get more education. I started my Graduate degree pursuing a MBA, after taking 5 weeks of classes it was obvious that I was still in the wrong field. I, then, turned to my mentors from my undergrad and my current boss, asking if it made sense to purse a degree in HEA. The answer was unanimous and obvious to everyone but myself.

What is the most valuable lesson you have learned in your career (so far)?

-The most valuable lesson I have learned thus far in my career would be, failure is okay. It is what you do after you fail that makes or breaks you.

What is on your Higher Ed bucket list?

-My ultimate end goal in life would be, to become a Dean of Students. I care deeply about the voice a student has. Both my undergraduate and graduate schools have a DOS who inspire students every day. I want students to be able to walk into my office and feel welcomed, and more importantly safe.

-Another notch on my higher ed bucket list would be to work somewhere outside of my geographic region (north east). I would like to experience cultural differences we have in this country. I grew up in an urban area, and have attended institutions in rural areas. I would love to work somewhere on the west coast or in the south.

What advice would you offer to undergraduate seniors who are staring to search for grad programs?
-Look for graduate assistantships. Do not depend your entire search on them however, they are a great deal of help financially and developmentally. Regardless if a student is looking into HEA, the process of finding an institution should be much different than when they were looking at undergraduate programs.

-It is okay to go into a graduate program that has NOTHING to do with your undergraduate degree.

-Go to grad school because you want to, not because it is the next logical step. Education is something no one can take away from you, use it in such a way that it transforms