Position at UWGB: Student Services Specialist
Summary of what you do: I work at the Green Bay One Stop Shop, so I assist Admissions, Registrar, and Financial Aid.
How long have you been employed: I just celebrated my one year workiversary!
Brief history of employment with UWGB: Working at GBOSS is my only position I’ve held here at UWGB
Three words that describe you: Friendly, happy, positive
Personal interests: Crossfit, traveling, theatre, animals, eating
– Any favorite line from a movie? Not really!
– Are you messy or organized? A mix of both – sometimes I let things get pretty messy, then spend time organizing everything, and then things get messy again… it goes back and forth!
– Best vacation you’ve been to? Brazil
– Describe what you were like at age 10. Very creative and imaginative – I loved using our video camera to make movies and musicals.
– Do you have a favorite newspaper, blog? I love scrolling through Instagram, but I’m not sure if that counts!
– Do you have an office nickname? What is it? I don’t think so!
– Do you recall any embarrassing moment at work? I get embarrassed whenever I make any type of mistake!
– Favorite travel spot? That’s so tough! I like to go new places, so I don’t know if I have a favorite spot that I travel to often. I love visiting my family out in Colorado, though.
– If given a chance, who would you like to be for a day? Justin Bieber. Don’t judge me
– If Hollywood made a movie about your life, who would you like to see cast as you? Mila Kunis
– If you could change one thing about working here, what would it be? I wish I had the option of working from home.
– If you could interview one person (dead or alive) who would it be? Hmm… Probably my late grandfather, because there is so much that I don’t know about that side of my family.
– If you could witness any historical event, what would you want to see? I can’t think of anything off the top of my head, but I would like to be alive during a time when the Earth wasn’t so polluted and explored, and be one of the first people to explore the wilderness, without any tourists.
– If you had to eat one meal, every day for the rest of your life, what would it be? Ancient grains cereal – I honestly crave this cereal multiple times a day so would probably satisfied with eating it forever.
– If you were an animal what would you be? A cat
– If your house was burning down, what’s the one non-living thing you would save? Probably my computer because that’s where all of my photos are saved.
– Least favorite food? Any kind of olives
– Motto or personal mantra? Appreciate every single day.
– People would be surprised if they knew: I get extremely nervous before any type of public speaking or performance.
– Tell us a little about yourself. I grew up in Cedar Rapids, IA and went to Edgewood College in Madison. I met my husband there, and once I graduated, we moved to Denver, CO. We got married out there on Lookout Mountain and the day after our parents left, we realized we needed to move closer to home, so we started applying for jobs right away! I got this job, and we moved 2 months after we got married. I’m sure you’ve gathered this from the rest of the questions, but I love going new places, whether it be a new restaurant or bar close to home or an entirely new country. I value experiences and spending time with family.
– Tell us a little bit about your family. My husband is from De Pere, so we moved here to be closer to his family! His parents live here, his sister in Appleton, and brother in Madison. We spend most of our free time with them. My parents live in Iowa and my sister lives in Missouri.
– Tell us three things most people don’t know about you. I don’t think my colleagues knew I sing until recently, or that I lived in Switzerland for 6 months.
– Top 3 life highlights? Being in a professional musical in Denver, studying abroad in Switzerland, and getting married on a mountaintop in Colorado.
– What advice would you give to recent new hires? Don’t be afraid to ask questions, and most problems we encounter at work are not 911 emergencies (so don’t stress!)
– What are three career lessons you’ve learned thus far? A good attitude and a smile goes a long way
– What are your hopes for our industry/school? I hope we can keep making improvements to the campus and community to make UW-Green Bay more attractive to students.
– What aspect of your role do you enjoy the most? I absolutely love working directly with students. I feel like I can help make their experience here better, especially when they are trying to navigate through complicated things like applying for financial aid.
– What book did you read last? Just Kids by Patti Smith
– What books are at your bedside? I actually have some Japanese mangas, as well as a random book I borrowed from the Cofrin Library but still haven’t started
– What celebrity do people think you look like? I’ve heard Kate Middleton, but I don’t know if I really see it!
– What did you want to be when growing up? A Broadway actress
– What do you always want to try and never did? I guess I have always thought about moving to LA to pursue acting, but love having stability so I never did!
– What do you like most about your job? I love working directly with students and helping them accomplish their educational goals. I also love the benefits we receive, because I am able to get plenty of time off to go on adventures and rejuvenate when needed.
– What do you like to do in your spare time? My husband and I are always looking for new series’ to watch, and I go to Crossfit frequently. I also like to take mini trips on the weekends to nearby cities and state parks.
– What do you like to do on your days off? I love exploring new places nearby-towns in Door County, new breweries and wineries, hiking trails, etc. On the flip side, I also really enjoy having time to veg and not worry about anything but what movie or show I’m going to watch next.
– What does a typical day look like for you? I get up around 6:15 to be here at 7:45 am, work up at GBOSS until 4:30 pm, head to Crossfit, then head home to have dinner with my family. My husband and I will usually watch a crime show or movie if we have enough energy before bed. I go to sleep so early!
– What else do you do for fun? We have a lot of friends in Madison, so we like to go there for the weekend every month or so. Sometimes my husband and I bust out our old video games and play those.
– What is an ability you wish you had? Teleportation.
– What is the first concert you attended? I saw Michelle Branch and Aaron Carter around the same time.
– What is the first thing you would buy if you won the lottery? I would book an amazing vacation. I would love to explore multiple countries and continents- I’d probably start off at a resort on an island in one of those huts on the water.
– What is the most important thing you have learned in the last five years? Sometimes you have to go with the flow-you can’t predict when you’ll encounter bumps in the road.
– What is your biggest pet peeve? Bad attitudes. I understand that no one is in a good mood all of the time, but I hate when people take their anger out on me. Everything is better when you are kind to others.
– What is your family like? My mom is a dental hygienist, my dad is a realtor, and my sister is in art school, and my husband just started going back to school for Software Development. We all love adventures and the outdoors, so whenever we visit my family, we are going on bike rides, exploring new areas of town, going out to karaoke bars, or going on walks. We also love just hanging out at home and being lazy-hanging out together is always so fun! I also have a cat named Michael (pictured in my photo).
– What is your favorite meal? That is so hard because I LOVE food-sushi, Mexican food, pizza, burgers… but I’d probably have to say a burger and fries is my go-to when I go out to eat.
– What is your favorite movie and book? I love all movies directed by Hayao Miyazaki. I used to love the Harry Potter books but I am not much of a reader.
– What is your favorite sport? Tennis
– Hidden talent? It’s not really hidden, but I can sing and have been involved with musicals and theatre since middle school.
– What kinds of hobbies and interests do you have outside of work? Crossfit, traveling, roadtrips, shopping… I feel like I’ve already said these a few times in this interview, so sorry if this is repetitive. J
– What one food do you wish had zero calories? Pizza
– What phobias do you have? As I get older, I am more scared of heights and water.
– What places have you lived in? Cedar Rapids, IA – Madison, WI – Fribourg, Switzerland – Denver, CO & De Pere, WI
– What tv show/movie are you ashamed to admit you love? I try to own up to whatever stupid shows I like to watch, like my 600 Pound Life and 90 Day Fiance on TLC.
– What was your favorite book, toy, or outfit as a child? I loved everything Barney, Rugrats, Polly Pockets, and Tweety Bird.
– What would people never guess you do in your role? We at GBOSS are not receptions, and actually have to know a lot of detailed information about financial aid, registration, and admissions. We help prospective, current, and past students in many ways, and do more than just transfer calls.
– What would you like to be famous for? Singing.
– What’s on your bucket list? Travel to as many places as possible and have as many new experiences as possible.
– What’s the one thing, you can’t live without? My phone and my family.
– What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever eaten? I guess frog legs? But they were pretty good.
– What’s your favorite thing to do in Green Bay? I love having a drink on the roof of Titletown with friends when it’s nice outside.
– Where do you see yourself in 5 years? I’ll probably have my first child, maybe even two, with lots of traveling under my belt, be a homeowner, and still working at UW-Green Bay (in who knows what role).
– Where is your favorite place to eat? My mother in law makes the best food, better than any restaurant!
– Where is your home town? Cedar Rapids, IA
– Where would you like to go on a dream vacation? I would love to explore a remote island-I don’t really care which one, maybe the Maldives. I would also like to explore South America more, and go to Asia.