I was an intern at AU for a year, left, then came back. So, I’ve worked at AU for 10 consecutive years as a professional staff member—although this is my fourth position in the Center for Well-Being. Before I joined AU, I was a fellow at Chase Brexton Health Care in Baltimore, which specializes in affirming care for the LGBTQ community and those  who are HIV-positive. I got a year of intense training that I was able to bring back to AU in cool ways in terms of talking about sexual health, preventing disease, and advocating for our gender diverse clients.

My job at AU is to provide oversight, direction, and planning for our full-time professional staff, interns, externs, peer health educators, and Well-Being Corner assistants—around 50–60 people. I also help with the clinical work and support the parent education program. In my job, every day is different, each season is different. We are in unique times, so the work is more challenging—but I’m happy to meet those challenges. One of the cool things about working at a university is every year we get a new cohort of students with different perspectives and expectations, so you’re constantly having to think differently. 

My office is the Center for Well-Being in Mary Graydon Student Center, room 206. We provide a range of support services through direct care: advocacy, therapy, health education, and our passive and active programming. We also opened the Well-Being Corner in January in the Meltzer Center. Students can play video games and board games, relax in nap pods or massage chairs, or stretch out in the Zen Den.

My go-to lunch spot is TDR—they have the best waffles. My go-to order at the Dav is the white chocolate lavender latte with oat milk—which has me in a chokehold—and a spinach croissant. My favorite place on campus to steal a quiet moment is the Serenity Lounge in the Well-Being Corner, and I think campus is at its prettiest right before commencement. 

The person who helped show me the ropes is Traci Callandrillo, who was the executive director [of the Center for Well-Being] when I was an intern. We’re still connected to this day because now she does executive coaching, which makes perfect sense because she was like a coach and mentor to me. I found my community at AU by going to events and talking to people. I’ve met wonderful people in different offices that I’m still connected to and feel comfortable calling on if I ever head their help.

I show my AU spirit by being engaged in the work and paying attention to students and their needs. I also wear my AU [gear] every Wednesday and Friday. The most famous faces I’ve seen on campus are the Buddhist monks who came to AU [in February] for the Walk for Peace. 

My favorite day of the workweek is Friday—it’s quieter, so I can sit down and be intentional after a very busy week. My work-from-home rituals include lighting a candle or incense, taking some deep breaths, and centering myself. When I come into the office, it’s “Shatina! Shatina!” as soon as I hit the door. And it’s like, “OK, what do you need?” So, at home, I can ease into work a little bit more.

When I’m not at work, you can find me at spending time with the people I love: my family, friends, and church community. My hobbies include gardening. If I can figure out how to stop squirrels from stealing my apples, I will be a very happy person.

The last great book I read was When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting the Poor . . . and Yourself by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert, which I read right before a mission trip to South Africa in September 2023. The last great show I watched was Bridgerton. The last great meal I ate was burgers my friend cooked recently.

My most Washington moment was visiting the Go-Go Museum in Anacostia recently with the AU Graduate Black Student Union. I didn’t know it at the time, but the founding chief curator is SOC professor Natalie Hopkinson.

If I didn’t work at the Center for Well-Being, I’d be a horticulturist. But my job at AU is best because I get to make a real impact on students’ lives.