CU Grads: Jenny

1. What was the most memorable moment of your Carleton experience?

The most memorable moment that I have had in my time at Carleton, was a conversation that I had with one of my Bounce Back mentees. I was helping this first year student work through some academic challenges and they had been really making an effort to improve. They ended up doing very well on a test that they had coming up, and told them that I was proud of them. They were so happy and thanked me for saying that because they “didn’t hear that a lot from other people.” It was at that moment when I realized that the smallest gestures could make a big impact.

2. Which service centers were instrumental to your success as a student?

There are many services centers at Carleton that has made my undergraduate degree a success. I would say the first one I used was the Academic Advising Centre (AAC). In my first year, the lovely folks at the AAC helped me navigate my audit and helped me switch my degree major.
In terms of community building, I would say the Centre for Student Academic Support (CSAS) and the Student Experience Office (SEO) have had the biggest impact on my time at Carleton. I worked for both centres as a student and I felt very engaged with the Carleton community. My roles at CSAS and the SEO allowed me to meet and work with so many different students. At CSAS I was able to help students with their academics and at the SEO I was able to meet incoming students and help prepare them for the transition to University. Getting to see all these different aspects of the student body really helped me to see how much of a community Carleton really is.

3. Which community member has made a difference in your time here at Carleton?

. Many people at Carleton have made my time here great. One of the most influential people has been Teddy Kozela, The Mentorship Coordinator at Carleton. I met Teddy three years ago when she took a chance on me and hired me for her new mentorship program. I fell in love with the program and Teddy and I became close. Teddy introduced me to the academic theories that underpinned the programing and really fostered my learning outside the classroom. She has been such a great mentor to me and has helped me in both my academic and professional life at Carleton.

4. Which achievement or experience are you most proud of from your years here?

The achievement that I am most proud of at Carleton was getting a position as a Summer Orientation Leader in my third year. I can absolutely say this is the best job I have ever had. Although it was only a summer job, it exposed me to the whole new career field of higher education and student affairs. That summer I was able to connect with professionals at the SEO who had pursued graduate work in the field of higher education. As a student, I had always enjoyed working in roles that helped other students, but it was in my role as a Summer Orientation Leader where I found my passion and found out that I could actually pursue a career in student affairs. After graduation I will be continuing to grow my passion by pursuing graduate work in student affairs and higher education leadership. I am also extremely lucky because I get to stay in the Carleton community after graduation! I now hold a professional staff role at the SEO, coordinating amazing programs for students across campus!

5. What advice would you give to a new Carleton student?

My piece of advice to new students is to push yourself out of your comfort zone. When I reflect back to my first year self I was a completely different person. I was quiet, shy, and completely focused on my academics. Don’t get me wrong academics are very important! However, it wasn’t until I challenged myself to take on leadership opportunities and get involved, that I really felt that I was making the most out of my Carleton experience.