Her Story
About Vanessa
Vanessa Tucker serves as Executive Assistant to the Dean in the School of Occupational Therapy at Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences, a position she has held since June of this year. With a total of eight years in higher education, she previously worked for seven and a half years at Yakima Valley College in Yakima, Washington. Her expertise centers on supporting students, promoting a sense of belonging among peers and learners, and managing event planning initiatives. Tucker earned a BS in Anthropology from Central Washington University in 2004 and recently completed a Master's in Higher Education at the same university in June of this year. She draws on her background as a first-generation college student and woman of color to guide others through educational challenges, emphasizing honesty, authenticity, and compassion in her work. Tucker advises aspiring professionals to ask questions boldly and to reject imposter syndrome.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Vanessa
01What do you attribute your success to?
I think it is my understanding of some of the challenges that a lot of students that I have interacted with go through. Being a first-generation college student, being a woman of color, I understood what some of those barriers are, those other unseen barriers in education that make it difficult for those students to achieve or even to see themselves as achievers. And so, I think being able to share my story, my experiences with them, that's what I'm most proud of, and being able to say, I see you, and you can do wonderful things. I'm working with my own story as to how to help them. Like, I've failed classes, I've done the work, I've fallen down and had to pick myself back up, so I get where you're coming from. So I just think my where I'm at today, I just think it's just recognizing other people and being there for them to listen to them.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
Ask questions. If you're unsure, just be brave, ask the questions, and that's how you get the knowledge, and that's how you show your interests and show that you're locked in and you're ready.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Don't let the imposter syndrome get to you.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
Higher education is really tough right now just with federal funding restrictions that impacts our students greatly, and policy changes all over across the country, so those are some of the biggest impacts. And then of course access to resources for our students. So those are the big challenges. Despite all of that, I think there's always that opportunity of curiosity. Even if you can't afford to go to college right now, there's tons of resources of free courses, workshops, you know, just keep that curiosity alive, and keep asking the questions because you never know what those opportunities can bring to you. Also, networking and meeting people in industry that you're interested or in schools that you're interested in, because you never know if they have scholarships, different opportunities that you would have no idea about, but it does take getting to know people, it takes doing a little bit of research on your end.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Honesty, authenticity, and compassion.
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