HOW DID YOU GET HERE?
Tim and Sally Luzader invited me on a cruise to Bermuda! This “full circle” story started in 1993 when I was an intern then graduate assistant in the Career Development Center – Indiana University where Tim worked full-time. After graduating in 1995 with my MS Ed. (College Student Personnel Administration with my focus on career development), my friendship and professional connections with Tim and Sally grew as we each moved on to other institutions.
In December 2003 while directing the Career Services Center at St. Norbert College near Green Bay, WI, Sally emailed and asked if I would like to join them and friends on a summer 2004 cruise. Enthusiastically I said, “Yes!” and mentioned that I was looking for a new position closer to my family. Ironically, I ended up interviewing with Sally’s office for an Associate Director position (Graduate Career Services – Krannert), joined Purdue in March 2004, and had a great time on the cruise that July!
As the years have passed, we have remained friends and professional colleagues. An offer from Tim brought me out of a brief and early retirement from my role with Purdue’s Alumni Association as Director of Alumni Career Advancement. In Fall 2021, I did some contracted work for the CCO as a career counselor and, as of June 2022, I have joined the staff as a career consultant. Networking and developing and maintaining great relationships really work!
WHAT DO YOU LIKE MOST ABOUT WORKING AT THE CCO?
I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work with the staff of the CCO. The people here are genuine, hard-working, and fun. I love the team spirit as well as the shared vision and mission of helping students navigate their career journeys. It is refreshing to be among colleagues who share the same “language” and “values” of career development. In addition, I enjoy the collaboration and variety that this position provides.
What is the most unusual job you have ever had?
For one semester in college, I worked on the “tray line” in the dining hall. Yes, I was clearing food from trays. Think of the “I Love Lucy” episode where Lucy and Ethel are “on the assembly belt” at the chocolate factory. The trays on the conveyor belt moved quickly and would start to stack up on me. Unlike Lucy who would pop the fast-moving chocolates into her mouth, I DID NOT eat any of the food from the trays as they backed up; undergraduates can be especially creative with food they do not eat!
FUN FACT:
St. Norbert College in West De Pere, WI, is the summer home of the Green Bay Packers. It was not unusual to run into some very tall and large players as they had training meetings in my building (the tight ends were down the hall!). Though we were not to interact with them in a substantial way, many of the Packers held doors open for me as I entered the building and one day a Packer dropped by the office for cookies!
Another fun fact is that when I came to Purdue in 2004, Tony Dungy coached the Indianapolis Colts. Coach Dungy is from my hometown of Jackson, MI, and went to high school with my older sister. My Mom and Dad remember watching him play basketball and football for Parkside High School.
FAVORITE THINGS:
I love all animals, especially dogs. I also love children (I have three grandchildren and have been “aunt” to many friends’ children as well as my sisters’ children) with their energy and sense of wonder. Other favorite things include: the fall when the leaves turn color, spending time with friends and family, meeting people from all parts of the world, watching movies and plays, listening to music, traveling to other places and learning about culture and history, reading mysteries, being active in my communities (neighborhood, church, etc.), greeting and chatting with the various people I meet during a typical day, chocolate, and talking and laughing with my husband.
Quote you live by:
I love the parable of “The Starfish on the Beach” which Judith Paterson adapted from The Star Thrower by Loren Eiseley. In summary, two people are walking along a beach and the first one keeps bending down to pick up starfish that have become stranded; the starfish are then thrown back into the water. The second person asks about the usefulness of this action as thousands of starfish must wash ashore and all cannot be saved. The first person bends down, picks up a stranded starfish, throws it back into the water, and replies, “Made a difference to that one!”
ADVICE FOR STUDENTS:
“Job” and “Joy” appear so similar except for the seemingly mere exchange of two letters – “b” and “y.” However, a world of difference exists in the quality of life and the experiences you can have if you approach whatever you do with a sense of “joy.” Take time to assess what brings you “joy” and what allows you to bring “joy” to others.
