Self-Discovery

Understand your strengths, interests and values, and how they align with a variety of career fields.

Exploration

Access on-campus, community and professional opportunities that allow you to gain skills, networks and insights about potential career paths that interest you.

Reflection

Connect the dots between your learning, experiences and plans for the future.

Action

Take steps to move toward your professional goals and aspirations.

Director for Career Development | Career Coach

I have been working in higher education for over 15 years, always with a focus on student learning. My background is in education and teaching, and I am passionate about coaching students and advising them on their academic and professional paths.

I enjoy creating meaningful educational experiences for students both in and outside of the classroom. In the Career and Community Engagement Center, I oversee all aspects of Career Education, from one-on-one appointments with students to leading workshops for student groups and presenting in the classroom. As part of my role, I also manage the Student Career Advisor (SCA) program, which provides peer-to-peer career education.

I grew up in Berlin, Germany, and also went to college there. I received a B.A. in English, History and Education from Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin as well as a M.Ed. with a focus on English and History. Fun Fact: During the 2010-11 academic year I came to Whitman to teach in the German department and lived in Das Deutsche Haus.

Assistant Director for Career Mentoring Programs | Career Coach

My role in the Career and Community Engagement Center focuses on connecting students with mentorship resources, which play an important role in preparing students for a variety of post-graduate opportunities. I encourage students to create a diverse circle of support and resources around them as they navigate academics and plan for life after Whitman, and mentors can be a valuable part of that.

I have a background in higher education, healthcare recruitment, social work, non-profits, and humanitarian work. I love exploring the diversity of interests that our students have and helping them identify their strengths as they plan for a life and career filled with purpose.

In my spare time I enjoy reading, playing sports, and cooking! 

Career Development Specialist | Career Coach

Like many college students, I was uncertain how my professional journey would progress after graduating with my B.A. in Sociology. Ultimately, my path developed as I tried out new and exciting opportunities. This exploration helped me uncover a passion for working with students as they evaluate their emerging interests and assess possible careers. My experiences as a Resident Advisor in college, employment at a local bank, attaining my M.Ed. in College Student Services Administration, and working in a few different roles at Whitman College have all taught me the importance and benefit of building connections, trying new activities, and regular reflection on one's interests (and disinterests!), values, and skill sets. As a Career Development Specialist and Career Coach, I am excited to team up with Whitties as they continue on their own unique journey. I provide all students with career-focused support and specialize in assisting students pursuing a social science degree. I am also the Career Coach for all incoming Garrett-Sherwood Scholars.

Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with my husband Cory, my son Leland, our two shelties, Theo and Isla, and our two cats, Andi and Jasper. I grew up in Olympia, Washington, and have a fondness for rainy days and coffee! My favorite season is autumn (beautiful colors, sweater weather, and college football - Go Cougs, Go Beavs, Go Blue!). Over the summer, my home away from home is Northport, Michigan, on the shore of Lake Michigan. I look forward to getting to know you!

Career Development Specialist | Career Coach

I was brought into the Career and Community Engagement Center in 2021 as a point person for students exploring STEM careers. My background is in the geosciences, and I have taught at a number of institutions of higher learning, including Whitman.

I always enjoy interacting with students and helping them think about what comes after college. In my current work, I develop a variety of interactive programs and work directly with students, both STEM and non-STEM, to help make the transition to life after Whitman easier.

While I grew up in Oregon, I left for college and spent 20+ years outside the PNW in Maine, Alaska, Texas, Wisconsin, and Tennessee. My dogs and I are excited to be back so they can get more treats and visits from their grandparents. When not at work or obeying three bossy dogs, I like to spend time outside, collect rocks, collect fabric, and sew things. So if you are curious about what you could do in STEM or just want to talk about rocks, feel free to contact me!

Career Development and Fellowships Specialist | Career Coach

As a Career Development and Fellowships Specialist, I coach students through the career exploration and planning process as well as helping students and alumni think through graduate school plans and produce compelling materials for admissions and funding applications alike. I'm a graduate of the Classics program at the University of Kansas (MA '08) and the University of Missouri-Kansas City (BA '05), and also spent some years in the Classics PhD program at the University of British Columbia, leaving ABD (all but dissertation).

I came to Whitman from the University of Colorado Boulder, where I worked with graduate students to help them realize their academic and professional goals. In my free time I read (mostly fantasy and science fiction), watch documentaries (mostly cold case/true crime), write, and paint, accompanied (and sometimes hindered) by my dachshund Mulder and my two cats, Spatula and Pram.

Director for Community Engagement | Career Coach

As Director for Community Engagement, I build strong, sustainable relationships with community partners, creating opportunities for students to come alongside members of the Walla Walla community to support projects and initiatives identified by them as positively contributing to the community and their organizations' purposes. Additionally, I oversee the Community Fellow Program, and I mentor and advise students who serve as Community Engagement Leaders.

It is my intention that community engagement experiences are mutually beneficial for the Whitman and Walla Walla communities. Through these opportunities, students learn about both the Walla Walla Valley and themselves; they participate as members of the community, reflecting on who they are, while contributing to our partners' capacity to meet the needs of the community.

I joined the Career and Community Engagement Center in 2012, and have found this work to be a great blend of my experiences stemming from two decades of work in community engagement and education. I have a B.A. in Education and a M.A. in Educational Psychology, yet my most significant learning, and the experiences I draw upon most, come from relationships and community engagement experiences.

I had the opportunity as a college student, myself, to serve in a role similar to the student leader positions here in the Center. Now as Whitman's Director for Community Engagement, I hope to offer this current generation of students similarly important opportunities to learn and engage in community. Milenko Matanovič, a Slovenian-born artist and community activator, said, "When it comes to community, together we always know more." Many students have shared with me over the years that by engaging in the Walla Walla community they meet people and have experiences that make them feel more connected.

There are many of forms of knowledge, or ways of knowing, and by learning and engaging in the community, students can add powerful and transformative depth to their knowledge. I invite you to reach out to me to discuss and explore community engagement opportunities!

Programs and Budget Coordinator | Career Coach

As the Programs and Budget Coordinator for the Career and Community Engagement Center, I enjoy talking to students, parents, and visitors. I am your first point of contact at the Center!  I provide administrative assistance and clerical support, handle reimbursements and accounts payable, supervise the office's student administrative assistants, and oversee student payroll for the Center. My work also includes assistance with the implementation of all the Center's programs and events, alongside management of program budgets and internship endowments.

Outside of the Center, my expertise is in the realm of entrepreneurship. I grew up in the Walla Walla Valley and joined Whitman College in 2012. I love to get involved in the community as much as possible! One fun fact about me is that I love amusement parks, especially roller coasters - the higher and faster, the better!

Associate Director for Employer Engagement and Internship Programs | Career Coach

I'm fairly new to Whitman College, joining the Center in 2022, but not to Walla Walla and higher education. I have worked in the public sector for my entire professional career. I love seeing students take the step to get involved and to connect with experiential learning, opening their world to experience new and exciting things!

I benefited from having several internship opportunities as a student myself, where I learned what I enjoyed doing and also what I did not like to do!

My idea of a perfect day includes boba tea, a good book to read, and a little sunshine. I grew up in Los Angeles, moving to Walla Walla in 2018. I've worked in higher education for over nine years now, and I have enjoyed seeing students grow both inside and outside of the classroom. Outside of the Career and Community Engagement Center, I enjoy volunteering in my community and hanging out with my energetic dog, Lou.

Co-Director of the Career and Community Engagement Center | Career Coach

As Co-Director of the Career and Community Engagement Center, I oversee operations, staff and resources to ensure that students can connect to the people and experiences that will help to shape their futures. We are a mighty team with a diverse set of experiences and identities, working together to open relevant and exciting opportunities for student learning outside of the classroom.

I joined the Center in 2013 after spending 20-ish years in a variety of sales, marketing, and management roles in the apparel industry. Having the opportunity to now utilize what I learned over the course of my career as the Center creates a holistic and relevant set of programs and tools to connect students to our community and their life beyond Whitman has been an incredibly rewarding experience.

Co-Director of the Career and Community Engagement Center | Career Coach

In my 20 years at Whitman I've enjoyed serving both as a faculty member (in Sociology and General Studies) and as a leader in the Career and Community Engagement Center. I also serve as Whitman's pre-law advisor and as the College Liaison for Community Affairs.

Every day I come to work and am fortunate to fill my hours helping students who want to make a positive difference in our complex, messy world pursue those aspirations. I can’t imagine a greater source of professional satisfaction.

As a liberal arts graduate (philosophy major) I have been able to create and enjoy a journey that has allowed me to make contributions in numerous realms including community organizing, program management, policy advocacy, lawyering, and teaching. Perhaps my most influential job was as a VISTA volunteer in the small coal town of Harlan, Kentucky the year after college, an experience that I think about nearly every day, three decades later. My wife, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Professor Helen Kim, and I have a son, Ari, and a daughter, Talia, who enjoy their own student lives in our excellent local public school system and who keep us on our toes 24/7!