Gena Smith

I think I've been successful in this role because I've had a good team that I've worked with. I had a good foundation coming in, a strong work ethic, and when I got here, everybody was willing to do their part and assist and answer questions and help out. It's not about to sound cliche, but teamwork makes a dream work, and it takes everybody doing their part. I had the mindset, I was anxious to do well, and just that great atmosphere, being surrounded by great people and supportive people, really made the difference.

I definitely think, be somewhere or go where you're valued, and not necessarily just needed. Make sure you're in a working environment where you're seen, you're valued, and you're not just a number or buns in a chair, but you're a valued part of the team.

The sky's the limit. Just don't be afraid to get in there and be yourself and be confident. Do what you are trained to do, and also be open to new experiences and learning from others. I definitely do see a lot of young people entering and working in higher education, so it's wide open for opportunities.

In our specific institution, we're growing pretty rapidly. We've had the largest enrollment in our institutional history every single year that I've been here, every semester, it's just bigger and bigger. Our college used to be considered a commuter school, and they're trying to transition more on campus because we do have more students on campus now. It's been a challenge with the number of students we have and the space that we have for the commencement. It's always a challenge when we start looking at the number of students graduating versus the number of people who can attend, which is obviously something I can't control, but it has been a reoccurring challenge. So right now we're looking at do we add more ceremonies, do we move to a different venue, which is also limited as far as that goes. But I work with a great group. My team is awesome. My immediate supervisor has been the best supervisor I've ever had, and so that's really made it easy to assimilate into this role and just do the day-to-day things as they come and roll with the punches. That's one thing education has taught me is flexibility, and you make it work.

Honesty is important. I definitely think professionalism, consistency, respect, and competency is important, obviously. Fairness matters too. And then also just making sure that you do the right thing when no one's looking, because there's a lot of times where we're given tasks and the boss has got other stuff they need to do, and they need to know that you're gonna do it. At the bottom line, it's about making the student experience, as they cross the stage and leave out of here, making it a positive one, and one that they'll remember, them and their family.