Meet Jesse Beal!

What is your current position at Suffolk?

I currently serve as the Acting Director of the Office of Diversity Services, the primary campus resource for students of color and LGBTQ+ students.

What do you love about working at Suffolk?

I have two answers to this question. First, my students. Suffolk students are humble and hardworking. They are passionate and not entitled. They are often commuting and working in addition to their academics and their co-curricular work. In my time at Suffolk, I have worked with some of the most talented, kind, and caring students in the world. They have made me a better student affairs practitioner.

Second, Suffolk has afforded me the opportunity to dream big and develop programs from the ground up. I have felt empowered to do some of my very best work here.

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

What’s free time? I’m mostly joking. In my free time I enjoy reading and writing. I teach a course through the Tufts Experimental College called “Understanding Social Justice Through Young Adult Fiction” which combines my passion for social justice pedagogy with my affinity for pop culture. I also provide a number of trainings and workshops in the Greater Boston area on a variety of LGBTQ+ and social justice topics. I love to cook, to spend time with my wife, and to explore Boston—since I’ve only been here for 4 years. I am

Who inspired you to get involved in Higher Education?

I was an undergraduate at UT Austin and during my time there I served as both an intern for the Gender and Sexuality Center and a peer educator on LGBTQ+ topics as a part of the Peers for Pride program. Shane Whalley, the former education coordinator of the GSC, was my mentor and is now my good friend. If I could credit anyone with inspiring me to become a student affairs practitioner, it would be Shane. Some people get into this work because they want to be the person they needed and didn’t have in college. I did it so that I could be the person that Shane was for me for someone else.

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

I feel that I have learned so many important lessons. But, the lesson that I keep learning and relearning is how important it is to build relationships on your campus and in your community. There have been so many times in my career where I either completely or partially can attribute a success to the fact that I had positive relationships with the stakeholders involved. I am not a WOO (Strengthsquest)—I don’t enjoy small talk and conversations with acquaintances wear me out. But, I have had to push through my discomfort to build connections with people. I also take the time to meet in person or call when something is important, instead of sending an email, and do a lot of meetings before and after an important meeting to connect with the people I need to reach. People are much more likely to support an initiative of yours if they respect you or even care about you.

What is on your Higher Ed bucket list?

I have been working with a team to create an intercollegiate retreat for Transgender, GenderQueer, and Nonbinary students for the past year. Getting this program off the ground would certainly be on my bucket list!

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

Build relationships. Find mentors and a team of supporters—build your network. This work is critical in higher ed for your future career success, but for professionals who identify as LGBTQ+ and/or people of color, this is a matter of survival.

Listen to your mentors, have them review your resumés and cover letters, and thank them for their work with you. Find people who “get it” who you can call and have “real” conversations with when things are hard. But, you also need people who you can call and get some coaching about how to navigate a particularly challenging situation or tricky dynamic. Make connections both with people who hold the position you aspire to and the position you are coming from. If you are a person with a marginalized identity, be sure to find ways to pipeline people like you into the field, but don’t forget to seek out a pipeline for yourself and your development.

Meet Emily Perlow!

What is your current position at Worcester Polytechnic Institute?

I just started in July as the Assistant Dean of Students. Prior to that I served as the Director of Student Activities. My current role entails working with students who may be struggling and trying to help them find solutions that keep them enrolled and succeeding at the institution, working with conduct cases, and Title IX investigations, along with assessment and strategic planning for the Division of Student Affairs. It is a big change for me as my level of student contact has changed substantially, but I’m excited for the challenges of the new position as well as the opportunity to influence policy and practice at a higher level of the organization.

What do you love about working at Worcester Polytechnic Institute?

WPI is a very special place. The students are brilliant, but at the same time, they have very little ego that sometimes comes with being so smart. They are genuinely interested in helping others and curious about the world. I also really love that WPI has a strong culture of innovation. Whenever someone has an idea, our goal is to see if we can make it work. And if it doesn’t work, then we’ll try something new. This openness to experimentation is one of the many characteristics that makes WPI a great place to work.

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

I spend a lot of my time working on my dissertation right now. I’m exploring the relationship between masculine identity, hazing, and play behaviors in fraternity culture. I also have a small side business doing photography. I shoot family portraits, senior photos, and some weddings. In addition to that, I spend time with my newly rescued dog, Darby, working on projects around my 90-year old house, gardening, and volunteering with the Northeast Greek Leadership Association as Assistant Executive Director and with Alpha Gamma Delta women’s fraternity as chair of the Education Committee.

Who inspired you to get involved in Higher Education?

For me, it was the confluence of a number of experiences. First, toward the end of my undergraduate career, I finally realized that I was scheduling my classes around my extracurricular activities. Next, I had several mentors I looked up to in my undergraduate experience who answered my questions about how someone could get a job in student activities. Then, I chose to postpone law school to take a 1-year appointment traveling around the country doing leadership development for my sorority. I realized while traveling that I gained a great deal of energy from mentoring and inspiring college women. The job was a perfect mix of the things I loved doing: event planning, leading others, and being a supporter and mentor. Finally, it took realizing my parents were right—that law school wasn’t going to make me happy. So I took my father’s advice: “When you find a job you love, you’ll never work a day in your life”—headed to graduate school and the rest is history.

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

Keep students and student needs at the center of your decision making. Sometimes it’s easy to place the policy or the procedure at the center in an effort to be consistent. When the policy rests in the center, we lose sight of our commitment to best serve student needs. If we stay focused on student needs, we generate creative solutions, keep students retained and satisfied, and provide an overall better experience.

What is on your Higher Ed bucket list?

Right now I am very focused on getting across that commencement stage with my PhD, which is not an easy task when you’re working full time. After that, I hope to become a Dean of Students and perhaps, someday, a VPSA. I’m also stepping into a new volunteer role soon as the Chairman of the Board for the Northeast Greek Leadership Association. I’m excited in this role to lead a non-profit board. I think that will prepare me well for future experiences working with trustees at my current and future institutions. I also hope someday to teach adjunct in student affairs preparation program. I really enjoy working with young professionals and would love to help guide master’s students in their educational journey.

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

When I started working at WPI ten years ago as a new professional, I expected to spend maybe three years there and then expected to move on. I have been fortunate to have had many opportunities and have stayed at WPI for more than 10 years. A lot of young professionals are counseled to “move on to move up” but that isn’t necessarily always true. My advice is two pronged: First, be open to opportunities at your institution. You can make a substantial impact if you aren’t always in a hurry for the next position. Volunteer to be on committees, ask for more responsibility, and do volunteer work outside of your student affairs functional area. Second, speak up. I think a lot of the reasons I have been given more opportunities was because I wasn’t afraid to volunteer for a new project, to voice my concerns or ideas even when I was the most junior person in the room, or to challenge the process in a productive way.

Meet Erin Murray!

Where are you working right now? I am currently the Graduate Assistant for Student Activities & Campus Center Operations at Worcester Polytechnic Institute.

What do you love about working at WPI? My students. I look forward to coming into work every day because of the students I have the opportunity to work with. I’ve gone through countless “teachable moments” with them, but they have taught me infinitely more than they will ever realize to help me become a better Student Affairs Professional. A HUGE shout out goes out to my Building Manager team (#rockstarstatus), my SocCommers, and my Legacy Leader team for giving me the best graduate experience I could have ever asked for.

When you aren’t working, how do you spend your free time? When I’m not working, I spend as much time as I can shopping with my girlfriends, and the last few years have gotten the opportunity to cruise through some awesome tropical locations with my family. I also spend time singing within the Connecticut a cappella scene, and am involved volunteering as the Assistant Volunteer Coordinator for SingStrong DC. Music is something that is near and dear to my heart (my undergraduate degree is in instrumental music), so I spend a lot of time listening to music in my car with the windows down and the volume up. One of my all-time favorite activities is going to concerts (I’ve seen the Beach Boys 11 times!), so I spend a lot of time at concerts within the music scene – specifically oldies (The Beach Boys, Dion, Frankie Valli, etc…) although I’ll listen to just about anything ☺!

What is your favorite grad school class and why? My favorite grad class was probably my Student Services class. I really enjoyed learning about other areas of the Student Affairs field, and why some of my cohort have a specific passion for their areas of work.

Who inspired you to get involved in Higher Education? Kaitlyn Dyleski, the current Assistant Director for Operations at Bridgewater State University. Kaitlyn was my Graduate Assistant supervisor when I worked as a Student Center Building Manager as an undergraduate student, and was a significant role model and inspiration for my wanting to go into Student Affairs. Maria Santilli, the new Assistant Director of Student Activities at Central Connecticut State University, was my professional staff supervisor as a building manager and is the reason I became the person I am today. She has served as one of the best coaches and mentors anyone could ever be so lucky to have in their lives, and I am grateful every single day that I had both Kaitlyn and Maria as mentors and coaches once I realized that I wanted to go into Student Affairs. I have a few relationships with some of my own students similar to the relationship I had with Kaitlyn as an undergrad, and that is the main focus of what I wanted as a young professional- to make a difference in someone else’s life the way Kaitlyn and Maria did with mine ☺.

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

I can answer this with three of my favorite quotes:

1. “But you know what I don’t understand? Why are you trying so hard to fit in when you were born to stand out?”

2. “Who you are is what you do without thinking.”

3. “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”

What is on your Higher Ed bucket list? My ultimate dream is to become the Director of a Student Center. As for the time being, I’d love to be able to present at a national conference sometime in the beginning of my career, and hopefully be the reason someone else decides to pursue a career in Student Affairs like Kaitlyn and Maria inspired me to do. I also aspire to complete my doctorate further down the road once I become established in my career.

What advice would you offer to undergraduate seniors who are starting to search for grad programs? Keep your options and eyes open, and your mind clear. I am completing my coursework at Central Connecticut State University but working in Worcester, MA, which is a 3 hour round-trip commute. I took a chance when I was offered my assistantship, and I am grateful every single day that I was brought to WPI. Find the program that fits YOU- don’t try to fit yourself into a grad program you don’t know much about. Do your research, and you will find your fit. Talk to the staff you work with now, and take advantage of absolutely every opportunity you can. Picking a graduate program can be a little scary, but the end result will make it feel like you knew where you belonged every step of the way. I am SO glad I chose this path!

Meet Kyla Tucker!

Where are you working right now?

I am a Graduate Fellow for the Office of Disability Services at Suffolk University and I am also a Graduate Resident Assistant for Suffolk at a leased property at Massachusetts College of Art and Design.
What do you love about working at Suffolk?

Everyone has been so friendly and supportive from day one. My supervisors not only care about my work, but also my academics and professional development.

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

Since I am new to Boston, I have exploring the museums, outdoor public spaces, and the variety of restaurants while I have been here. I also enjoy reading in my free time.

What is your favorite grad school class and why?

I would have to say I enjoy Legal Aspects of Higher Education the most right now. The professor is well versed in the subject and we learn by looking at cases in higher education history that have set the precedent.

Who inspired you to get involved in Higher Education?

The Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs at the University of Hartford was the first to inspire me. The whole Division of Student Affairs at the University of Hartford also took me under their wing and supported me while I was there.

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

Having a mentor to help you along the way is the greatest gift.

What is on your Higher Ed bucket list?

• Apply and be hired for a NODA Internship Summer 2016
• Present at NASPA Regional and National
• Speak at a TED conference on an aspect of higher education
• Find a way to use my studies in architectural engineering and higher education at the same time.

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

Trust in yourself that you will make the right decision.