Running head: MY CAREER TRAJECTORY

Kelsey Heiple American Higher Education Dr. Daniel Calhoun June 25, 2012 My Career Trajectory: Building a Future in Higher Education I. Introduction

Throughout college, I envisioned that I would one day be working in corporate America, establishing myself as a knowledgeable and well-respected leader within an organization. Why corporate America? Growing up, corporate seemed to be synonymous with power and money. That is exactly where I wanted to be; where both money and power were plentiful. To say I was nave would be an understatement. Through a series of fateful events, I would find that my passion and my future would lie in the very environment that I took part in every day. As a student, I was in the midst of a journey that I would one day help countless others begin, as well. II. Personal Development Having transferred to Kennesaw State University in the spring of 2006, after a rather unsuccessful attempt at a small, private college, I found myself in familiar territory. The University, being in close proximity to my high school, was the new home of many of my high school friends. One in particular, a high school friend named Jade Mauldin, had started working at the Universitys Office of Undergraduate Admissions as a Student Assistant to make some extra money. When another Student Assistant position became available, she encouraged me to apply. I went in for an interview and was offered the position on the spot. As the newest Student Assistant in Kennesaw State Universitys Office of Undergraduate Admissions, I was quickly thrown into a world of policies and terminology that I barely understood. My experience with applying to two different colleges helped to some degree but, overall, there was quite a learning curve. The vast majority of my job was providing customer service to prospective students and

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assisting them with the application process. It was not long before I found myself completely engrossed in the process. I found great satisfaction in helping individuals get into college so that they could realize their potential and, hopefully, open many doors to their future. After three years of working at the front counter and providing customer service, I graduated from KSU with honors. Since I was no longer a student, I could not work as a Student Assistant in the Admissions Office. Fortunately, another opportunity presented itself in the Digital Back Office, a subdepartment within the Admissions Office. Instead of working on the front lines, I would be working behind the scenes to process students applications and admit them to the University. Although not ideal, I saw it as an opportunity. My plan to work in corporate America would never materialize mainly because I had discovered a passion in something else entirely. My passion was helping students create opportunities for themselves by getting into college. III. Professional Development After four years of working in Kennesaw State Universitys Office of Undergraduate Admissions, I decided it was time to explore new opportunities. In March 2010, I accepted a position with Chattahoochee Technical College as a Student Affairs Specialist or, in other words, an admissions counselor. In my new position, I would encounter someone who would become my mentor and help me to realize my own potential in the field of higher education. When I first met Barbara Clickner, Director of Student Affairs Customer Service Relations at Chattahoochee Technical College, I was incredibly intimidated. As time went on, and I had more one-on-one encounters with Barb, as I call her, I discovered that she had a way to draw information out of me for my own realization. I would ask her a question to which she would answer with a series of questions. She would leave without directly answering my question only for me to realize, later, that she had pulled the answer out of me. She would later prove to be one of my biggest supporters. A year after accepting my position at Chattahoochee Tech, a promotion opportunity became available when my immediate supervisor accepted a new position with the College in a different department. Barb was on the interview committee and encouraged me to apply for it. After a few weeks

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of applying, interviewing, and waiting, Barb called me to let me know that I would not be offered the position. Noticing how upset I was, she took the time to help me think of ways in which I could become an even better candidate for future opportunities. Although I was skilled in process and procedure, Barb thought I needed more leadership experience and additional opportunities for professional development. As a result, and after much discussion about my passion for students and higher education in general, she frequently mentioned my name when opportunities would arise. With Barbs help, I have received many opportunities for professional development. The first came when I attended the 2011 Southern Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (SACRAO) annual conference in Atlanta, Georgia. Not long after, Barb would choose me to assist our Recruitment and Retention staff with the development of a new student ambassador group called the CTC Student Guides. In working with the Student Guides, I have had the opportunity to mentor a chosen group of students on how to become effective leaders and, in doing so, have realized a great deal about my own leadership style. In the year ahead, I will have multiple opportunities to participate in professional organizations. Of the ten Student Affairs Specialists employed with Chattahoochee Technical College, I was chosen as one of two who will attend this years Georgia Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (GACRAO) annual conference in Savannah, Georgia. Not only will I be an attendee but I will also be doing a presentation about our CTC Student Guides and how we were able to make it successful at a multi-campus technical college. In addition to attending the 2012 GACRAO Conference, I was nominated to be a member of the Cobb Education Consortiums Leadership Academy, which will begin in November of this year. This will provide opportunities to network with other educators in and around the Cobb County, Georgia area and allow for collaborative opportunities to ensure we are providing quality education to the citizens of Cobb County. IV. Goals With the knowledge that I plan to remain in higher education for the remainder of my career, I

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have established both short- and long-term goals for myself. My main goal is to complete my Masters of Education in Higher Education Administration. Considering I am in my second semester of a six semester program, I am well on my way to achieving this goal. In addition, I hope to continue networking with other educators through my participation with the Cobb Education Consortium Leadership Academy. Because this is comprised of multiple educational organizations within Cobb County, it is a great opportunity to get to know other educators in the area and possibly collaborate with them in different ways. Whether it is collaboration to improve quality of education or to allow for a more seamless transition from secondary education to higher education, it will improve education within the surrounding community. As for long-term goals, they include furthering my own education, establishing myself within professional organizations, as well as networking opportunities. While my short-term educational goal was to complete my Masters in Education, my long-term goal is to complete a Doctorate Degree in Education, thus creating endless opportunities for advancement within the field. Furthermore, I hope to establish myself within professional organizations and assist in creation of professional development opportunities for colleagues as well as networking opportunities with other educators throughout the state and the country. V. Career Trajectory Currently, I hold the position of Student Affairs Specialist in the Admissions Office of Chattahoochee Technical College. In other words, I am an admissions counselor and inform prospective students of how to apply to the college, how to register for classes, and provide them with the classes they need to be taking. Within the next year or two, I hope to move into a Student Affairs Coordinator position which would be the next logical step in my department. As a Student Affairs Coordinator, I would be responsible for oversight of the Admissions staff as well as coordination among departments for a specific campus. The position requirements include a baccalaureate degree, although a graduate degree is preferred, and sufficient experience in subordinate positions in order to effectively answer questions and resolve problems.

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In the next five to ten years, I plan to move into an upper-level leadership position like that of a Director of Admissions. Requirements for a position such as this would be a Masters Degree and knowledge of best practices in order to effectively manage the department and make decisions in the best interest of the college and the students it serves. At some point in time after holding the position of Director of Admissions, I would like to finish my career in higher education as a Vice President of Student Services. This position would likely require a Doctorate Degree and extensive experience in a higher education in order to effectively manage all subdivisions of Student Services such as Admissions, Registrar, and Financial Aid. VI. Conclusion In order to realize my goals, I must work diligently to gain the knowledge and skillset necessary to become a leader within higher education. I must seek out additional opportunities to network and collaborate with other educators and build a reputation as a well-respected and knowledgeable professional. With the opportunities to come in the year ahead, I believe that I am on the right path to realizing my career goals.