I’ve worked at AU for 15 years, beginning in the Office of Merit Awards. Before that, I worked in marketing and communications for the Washington National Opera and the Choral Arts Society of Washington. At a biergarten in Berlin, I met the spouse of an AU staff member. Our talk inspired me to come to AU for grad school and work. I tell our students you can network anywhere.

My job is to help our students translate what they do in college into meaningful work lives. I manage half of our career advising team, our career education programming, and our marketing. I also teach our career class for juniors and seniors. A typical day includes meeting with colleagues and students, planning or delivering a classroom presentation, and strategizing with faculty about how we can support their students. My office is on the fifth floor of Butler Pavilion. 

My go-to lunch spot is next door in the office of my colleague Julie Jones. My go-to order at the Dav or the Bridge is a latte. Campus is at its prettiest when the leaves are changing. My favorite way to steal a quiet moment on campus is by walking around the quad. 

My favorite day of the workweek is Tuesday, because almost all of our team is here, and someone often brings in something homemade. My work-from-home rituals include walking my sons to and from school and playing piano. I do my Zoom meetings from my office. My three computer screens make me look like an air traffic controller.  

The person who helped show me the ropes is Christine Chin, the chair of my department in SIS when I started grad school. She said: Focus on making three friends and do everything with them. 

Mine is an Eagle family in that my sons (rising fourth and sixth graders) love AU. Once they experienced the all-you-can eat TDR cafeteria, they were ready to pre-enroll. I show my AU spirit by attending our talented students’ arts performances and sporting events.

The most famous face I’ve seen on campus is Malala Yousafzai, who spoke on campus through the Kennedy Political Union. 

When I’m not at work, you can find me spending time with my parents and sisters, who live near campus. On weekends, I’m cheering my sons on at their many soccer games. My hobbies include singing. I auditioned for a symphonic choir the week I moved here. 

The last great book I read was Airplane Mode by Shahnaz Habib, my sister-in-law. It’s about the history of travel from a woman of color’s perspective. It’s smart and witty. The last great show I watched was Girls5eva. The last great meal I ate was anything I ate in Spain during my summer vacation last year. How can tomato on bread be so delicious?

My most Washington moment was staffing the annual Opera Ball at the Kennedy Center. One year, [Supreme Court] Justices Antonin Scalia and Ruth Bader Ginsberg both attended, and Scalia sat down at a piano and gave an impromptu performance.  

If I wasn’t a director of career education and outreach, I’d be a jazz singer. But my job at AU is best because I get to be part of an amazing team who model how to lead meaningful lives and coach students to do the same.