Dec. 9, 2008 issue
When I started out at EMU, I was working full-time in Student Business
Services and, soon afterwards, going to school full-time in the College
of Education. The students I spoke with all day at work inspired me and
drove me to finish my own degree. I graduated in 2001 but, after my student
teaching, something drew me back to Eastern.
I work part-time in the College of Health and Human Services, where I
set up appointments in the advising center and share information
about our programs, both in the advising center and at
recruitment events. I love promoting Eastern. I tell people
it has the best of both worlds — large and small class
sizes, a campus that's cozy and not overwhelming. I've returned
as a student myself to work on a master's in education
leadership.
The students are still the best thing about my job. Some of our programs
in Health and Human Services are really competitive, so I may meet a student
a couple of years before they get into the program, and I get to follow
their progress.
Maybe, because of my own education background, I really enjoy helping
students, whether it's guiding them through the process of applying to
one of our programs, cheering them on or just helping them feel more at
home. I've invited students to my home, hired them to baby-sit; just little
things to help them feel comfortable.
My husband is from Jordan, and a lot of people ask about the second part
of my last name, Abbasi. The Middle Eastern students recognize that it's
Middle Eastern, and it's sort of an icebreaker with them.
I've traveled to Jordan eight times, but I also learn so much about the
world through my job. I meet a lot of international students,
and I like asking them where they're from and about their
home countries. We have faculty who travel abroad and share
their experiences, and every semester we've had at least
one international graduate student who's an adviser. Their
personal experiences give me insights into places I knew
nothing about before. — Contributed by Amy E. Whitesall
