Many thanks to Lindsey for agreeing to fit our interview into her busy schedule, as well as all of her hard work!
Her Campus: So Lindsey, where are you from?Lindsey: I’m from Granite Bay, California, but I haven’t lived there in years. I now live in East Bay, Point Richmond, with my fiancé. I lived in Maui for two years after teaching high school for a while and met my fiancé while working at a restaurant. I was a server, and he was a chef. We’re due to be married in October.
Awww!
HC: Where did you go to school?LG: I did my undergrad at Westmont College in Santa Barbara. It was a very small liberal arts college. After that I went to Project Pipeline to get my teaching credential. Now I’m finishing my graduate program at USF, getting my Master’s Degree in Student Affairs, and Higher Education.
HC: How long have you been working at Sonoma, and what is your position?LG: I have been at Sonoma since July 2015. I am the Assistant Coordinator of Freshmen and Sophomore Programs.
HC: What a title! What does your job entail?LG: I directly supervise the ACE, HLC, STRETCH, and Philosophy101 Peer Mentors. I plan summer training and ongoing Friday training sessions called in-service, and work with the Sophomore Year Experience program and the Peer Facilitators, along with planning activities and ongoing training. I also plan co-curricular programming for helping sophomores reach the SYE’s Four Goals: Choose a Major, Explore Academic Opportunities, Choose Meaningful Co-Curricular Opportunities, and Explore Career Ideas. And, I’m working with current transfer students to create a greater support system for incoming transfer students. We’re currently having biweekly socials where transfer students can get to know each other a build a community. We’ve also been organizing Campus Connect events, where transfer students can go to different campus events with a group of other transfer students so they can meet up and go together. Also, I’m about to start working with orientation, aiming to support new student and transfer student orientation. I’m hoping to augment the system we already have for transfer students because I’m really passionate about supporting the development of student leaders on campus so they can be intentional in supporting the development of their students, in order to support student retention and success. My research for graduate school is actually on transfer student support, and I’m communicating with other schools about what support they provide for their transfer students in order to create a list of best practices for facilitating transfer student success.
Note: If you’re a transfer student who’s interested in Lindsey’s programs, check out her Transfer Socials!
HC: How do you like working at Sonoma, what do you think about the school?LG: I love it! I’m constantly impressed with the student leaders I get to work with here. And there’s a great sense of community among the Student Affair’s professionals here, and they’re all here for the right reasons, to truly help students. It’s exciting and inspiring to be working around people with similar goals. The students I get to work with are smart and engaging, and also in it for the right reasons. They’re here to become better leaders themselves, and support their fellow student’s success. There’s a lot of potential for change here, too. Students are right on the cusp of learning more about social justice, and are shifting to being a more inclusive culture.
HC: What is your favorite part of your job?
LG: Well, working with students! Also getting to see our student leaders get excited about finding their niche in their role as leaders at college, and getting involved and connected and really stepping it up. And it’s really fun being able to walk through campus and recognize people I’ve talked to, or helped, or the student leaders I work with regularly. It’s really fun making connections with students!
HC: What do you like to do in your free time?LG: What free time… Class. Occasionally I get free time! I like to spend time with my fiancé. We’re foodies, he’s a chef, and he makes me delicious dinners or we go out to eat. I like to garden, we have a little garden at home that I’m very proud of. And I like to just hangout with my friends, too.
HC: What are your goals for the future, in work and in your personal life?LG: Short-term goals are to graduate in May with my Master’s Degree and still be sane. In the future, I’d like to continue my research in supporting different populations of students and developing student leaders. I’d also like to have my research published! I want to continue participate in professional events and conferences, to continue growing in my own career as a Student Affair’s Professional. Maybe even become the President of Transition Programs, or something. In my personal life, I want to have a family, have kids, have a dog. One of my life goals is to one day publish a novel.
HC: What about college president one day?
LG: Probably not, because I don’t want to get too removed from working with students.
HC: What do you think about HerCampus?LG: I’m excited it’s started up at SSU, and I’m excited there’s a space for feminist thought and female student voice.