Oct. 7, 2008 issue

After living and working in Alaska for 24 years with K-12 students, I decided that I wanted to end my career at the university level, working with pre-service teachers. I chose EMU because I was looking for a diverse ethnic culture, including first-generation college students and returning college students.

The rich diversity that Eastern offers made me feel at home, since I am a first-generation college student and I returned to college several times during my career. I came here 11 years ago as an assistant professor in the English department. Recently, I was appointed to serve as the department head in English.

Our department has the most amazing faculty and clerical staff; everyone is here to help the students. My job is to make sure things in the department run smoothly, and see that students receive the resources they need to succeed.

I feel very lucky because this position allows me to draw from my previous experiences, which is very rewarding. The students are special here. They have a strong desire to learn and succeed, and many are working to help pay for their own education. Helping students is a pleasure, because they are so grateful and appreciative. Whenever I am in my office, I like to be available for students and members of our department.

I plan on finishing my career here at EMU, but who knows when that will be. My mission is to help students from falling over the invisible hurdles that are presented when they don't understand the system. I truly feel grateful for my career at EMU. — Contributed by Krystin Jarrell

 

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