Jen Lundy (formerly Jen Nelson), a JMU alum and current Admissions Counselor, gives us the inside scoop on her involvement when she was a student at JMU as well as what she hopes to see in its future.
It is not surprising that Jen is active as an alum and employee of the university seeing as she was so involved when she was a student here. “I was a Student Ambassador for all four years of my time at JMU, and I would say that was the organization that took up most of my time. In addition to that, I was also a REACH Peer through JMU’s Health Center and worked on campus as a Program Assistant in Judicial Affairs. During my senior year I was a staff writer for the Potty Mouth publication, which was a ton of fun!” She really seems to have left her mark on Madison and is still continuing to do so!
The majority of the current student population can agree that we never want to leave JMU. However, there’s more to it than just the social and academic aspects, despite outsider’s beliefs. When asked about this, Jen explains why she returned to help with incoming students. “Because of Student Ambassadors, I began to look at Master’s programs with a focus on Higher Education Administration. I got my M.Ed. in Educational Policy, Planning, and Leadership from The College of William & Mary and searched for jobs that interested me. I heard that there was an opening in JMU’s Office of Admissions, and applied immediately – I LOVED my undergraduate experience working with JMU Admissions as a campus tour guide, and thought that Admissions would be a good fit professionally. Six years later, I’m still here!”
The only thing constant in life is change and according to Jen JMU is doing a great job keeping up with changes that need to be made. “I think that JMU does a great job in changing all on its own – the leaders at the top levels of the university really try to keep our campus community fresh and are constantly striving to provide the best support for its students, faculty, and staff. I can’t really pinpoint an area that needs ‘change’ because I feel like we’re doing a great job in making small changes on a regular basis!”
Jen continues to be extremely active in the JMU community and is also the faculty founder of a new campus organization called PAWS. So just what is this growing organization? Jen gives us the details, “PAWS (Proudly Assisting and Welcoming Students) is a group of JMU students that volunteer for the Office of Admissions throughout the academic year. Last year was its first year in existence, but this year the group is really growing by leaps and bounds! We have fantastic Advisory Council members who are helping to shape the future of the group, and I see nothing but great things in PAWS’ future. As our prospective student visitation numbers grow every year, PAWS will continue to play a critical role in providing our visitors with a more engaged, more personal, visit to campus.”
So, besides sharing our love of JMU, why is all of this relevant? Well, Jen feels strongly about her JMU experience and it definitely touches home for most JMU students. “I love that the essence of JMU has remained the same throughout the years, despite the fact that the university has grown and evolved beyond where it began in 1908. Every JMU alum, whether a graduate of 1953 or 2013, will have had common JMU experiences that make our campus community one which EVERY current student and alum can embrace and remember fondly. The scale of our community has grown, but the basic student experience has remained the same. GO DUKES!”