Meet Garret Zastoupil!

Where are you working right now?

I serve as a Graduate Assistant in the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life at UConn. I just completed a spring practicum at Husky Sport a Campus-Community Partnership!
What do you love about working there?

I really love the student leaders that I get to work with in my role. I have the opportunity to really support the entire student through this role as they learn more about themselves through their leadership position. I also love the freedom I have from my team to innovate and alter or create new programs to better serve students.

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

Free time for me is almost a foreign concept, but when I have do have some, I enjoy explore different towns throughout New England, I’m a big fan of bookstores so I’m always looking for the next shop to create a day trip around. On a smaller level, I love trying new restaurants with my cohort mates as a way to get a break from work and class.

What is your favorite grad school class and why?

Law, Ethics, and Decision Making in Student Affairs has been my absolute favorite class. It was rigorous yet also incredibly reflective and grounded equally in understanding  the law and refining personal ethics entering the profession. Additionally, this class challenged me to think critically about  the history of higher education and current policies as it relates to equity and access and the gaps that exist today, along with the work I need to do to better serve all students and be an effective practitioner.

Who inspired you to get involved in Higher Education?

I served as a student worker starting my sophomore year, at that time I was hugely impacted and inspired by the folks I worked with- our Graduate Assistants, Director, and Associate Vice Provost for Student Affairs. These folks had a deep care for the institution and their students and were willing to take risks and advocate for their students on a daily basis. That passion for students along really inspired me to look critically at student affairs and propelled me to where I am today.

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

The importance of being intentional and outcomes driven in our programs and interventions. Through the year long assessment course as part of the UConn HESA curriculum, my team and I studied a program that had existed for 30 years, but came to learn that the purpose of the intervention had become diluted and no longer focused on outcomes. I learned how easy it is to do the same thing year-in and year-out to the point were students are no longer benefiting from the program.

What is on your Higher Ed bucket list?

An experience that looks at social justice and equity in higher education from an international contexts. I hope to better understand how institutions globally deal with their collective histories and current issues of privilege and oppression that impact students experience today.

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

Figure out what is important to you and build a criteria for a grad school search around that. One of the biggest mistakes I’ve seen folks make is that they apply to programs either based on solely on reputation or because they “know’ they can get into a program. Pick potential programs based on how well the fit into your needs and assure they are graduate programs you actually want to attend!

Meet Anne Hopkins Gross!

What is your current position at the Southern Vermont College?

Vice President of Student Affairs and Dean of Students

What do you love about working at Southern Vermont College? 

The students!  We have a rich diversity of students, which makes a rich work experience.  It has also been a wonderful experience working at the Cabinet level to move an institution forward while keeping the students at the center of the work I/we do.

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

I enjoy spending time with my family – hiking, kayaking, hanging out.  I have three kids (Patrick, Mackenzie, and Catherine), my husband (Glen), and our dog, Metrie.  Now that I’ve just finished my doctorate from New England College, I am really happy to be getting back to having more quality time with them.  I’m also looking forward to writing, cooking, and sewing … I enjoy sewing clothes.

Who inspired you to get involved in Higher Education?

Rae Trachman Perry, who was my supervisor when I was an undergrad at The College of New Jersey.  She was inspirational! Rae now works at UMass Lowell.

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

• Be willing to look at things with a different lens – be flexible in one’s thinking to come to a solution
• Change comes from within
• Don’t take things personally
• Breathe and be in the moment

What is on your Higher Ed bucket list? 

The subject of my doctorate was student affairs professionals and how to create positive changes in the brain to regulate attention, emotion, and cognition in order to create a more peaceful and productive work environment.  I co-presented workshops with Marilee Bresciani Ludvik at regional and national NASPA and ACPA conferences.  I plan on continuing this work and publishing the results of my dissertation.  It’s also important for me to share this research with students, which can help them destress and persist at college and beyond.  While not in higher ed, but on my bucket list, I’d also like to extend this work to parents of children with autism (another topic near and dear to me).

What advice would you offer to new professionals who are starting their first professional position?

Same as the lessons I’ve learned:

• Be willing to look at things with a different lens – be flexible in one’s thinking to come to a solution
• Change comes from within
• Don’t take things personally
• Breathe and be in the moment

Meet Courtney Trahan!

Where are you working right now?
I am currently working as a Graduate Assistant in the Center for Student Leadership Development at the University of Rhode Island.

What do you love about working there?

It has been an awesome experience working in a center that offers a variety of programming coupled with an academic minor. I have learned so much about what leadership means in all sorts of settings. Now I am able to ground leadership in theoretical models and I have discovered what it means to lead with my strengths. I also get a lot of student interaction, which is ideal. Our office runs a peer leadership organization, has an outdoor challenge course, and offers a selective orientation-style leadership development program for first year students right before they come to campus – all of which have added to this unique experience. The students and staff are inspiring and driven but also love to have a good time, so it is great to be in a work environment that is as productive as it is fun.

When you aren’t working, how do you spend your free time?
Free time has become especially precious to me in graduate school, and I like to try to spend it with family or friends, or doing something adventurous. I love to kayak, hike, and be outside, so I am really excited about the weather getting warm again! But a free time adventure to me could even be something smaller like visiting a park I’ve never been to or trying out a new bike path. I was born and raised a New Englander, so it’s always fun to visit different places, watch sporting events, explore, and try out the restaurant scene (big fan of breakfast foods). There’s a lot of variety through the states – we’re so lucky to have ocean and mountain accessibility, and I have always tried to take full advantage of that.

What is your favorite grad school class and why?
Although I am currently in my first year, so far I have enjoyed the concepts in Group Procedures and Leadership because it couples well with what I do in my assistantship. Additionally, I am very people-oriented, so no matter how I navigate my careers in the future, I know I will always need to be in a position where I am able to have a lot of interaction. With that, I think understanding group development is extremely important.

Who inspired you to get involved in Higher Education?

For me it might be less of a “who” and more of a “what.” Like a lot of my peers in higher education, I was extremely involved as an undergraduate and I was enjoying how it kept me busy, allowed me to meet new people, and it was always fun. When I reached senior year, I realized that I can make a career based in all my co-curricular involvement. I was an English Communications major very interested in working with professional sports, and while I absolutely loved what I was studying, I think I was most inspired by what I was doing on campus.

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

To remember that there are new things to learn every day and to remember that you are where you are for a reason. Someone hired/accepted you, or brought you to their team, because they saw your value and potential. Graduate school has been a difficult transition – between working and classes I can be on campus for up to 10-12 hours a day, which can be tiring when I live off campus. Through the times where I feel stressed or frustrated I continue to tell myself I’m part of my cohort and teams for a reason.

What is on your Higher Ed bucket list?

I love bucket lists and I am always adding to it, so that is tough to choose! As of now a definite short term goal is to be a professional lead on an Alternative Spring Break trip. Service has always been an important value to me and I love to immerse myself in new cultures, so it’d be a great opportunity to use my leadership skills, work with others, and broaden my perspective. Long term, I would be interested in a pursuing a doctorate or a second master’s degree in a specialized field depending on where I end up career-wise.

What advice would you offer to undergraduate seniors who are starting to search for grad programs?
Be open and do research. Finding a curriculum and staff that are a fit is imperative, but there are a lot of other factors to consider too. Visit and explore the culture of campus. Does the mission of the program fit your goals? Are you interested in having a cohort model? Is location important to you? Graduate school can be stressful between jobs, internships, and homework, so I think being able to have those outlets is what will keep you productive!

Meet Morgan Rayner!

Where are you working right now?

I am currently working at Becker College in the Office of Residence Life and Student Conduct as an Area Coordinator.

 
What do you love about working there?

I truly enjoy the small campus feel and the collaboration that occurs campus wide. Becker College is a place that embraces each member of its community and provides them with the tools they need to succeed. I am proud to be a Hawk.

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

I enjoy spending my time outdoors whether that be skiing the mountains of Vermont or retreating to Rhode Island’s beautiful coast. I spend a lot of my free time making memories with my family and friends. In addition, I enjoy spending time crafting or cooking.

What is your favorite grad school class and why?

My favorite gradate course thus far at Springfield College is Counseling Diverse Populations instructed by Allison Cumming-McCann. This course has challenged me to my core. It has forced me explore both my personal and professional perspectives and I feel that I am becoming a better student affairs practitioner because of it.

Who inspired you to get involved in Higher Education?

I have been fortunate enough to have numerous mentors throughout my journey, but I would not have these individuals in my life if it had not been for my friend and colleague, Peter Georges. Peter was one of my largest supporters throughout my undergraduate career. He stood by me as a friend and very unknowingly provided the encouragement I needed to become an active member of my community. Every time I am asked this question I think back to sophomore year of college sitting in class next to each other and Pete turned to me and said “Morgan, why aren’t you an RA yet?”. In one weeks’ time a position was posted and my journey to Student Affairs began.

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

Everything you encounter is a learning opportunity. No matter what you are doing there is always something to learn. The field of Higher Education is ever changing and we as practitioners must be excited to learn.

What is on your Higher Ed bucket list?

My “Higher Ed bucket list” is every growing and ever changing. One item that maintains constant is the desire to one day return to my undergraduate institution to serve the community that had once served me. In addition, I would like to serve on both local and international service trips with college students. At this point in my journey I am very open minded and I am excited to see what my future holds.

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

My advice to anyone on their journey into higher education is to remain open minded. With an open mind and determination you will find the right graduate program.