Sarah Kersey Otto

Title

Director of University Advising and Career Development Center

Years at EMU

21 years

Why You Like Working Here

I feel like we make a difference. With our center, we help students develop an academic plan as well as a career plan and we actually get to see them reach success. We’re almost like a small town. We have people from many different areas around campus but we are able to work collaboratively for the success of the students. It's almost like a large, extended family.

Favorite EMU Moment

Before Halle, the Porter Building was our library. During the opening in 1998, we all made a line from Porter and we physically passed books all along the line until they got to Halle.

Inspiration

Definitely the students. Our students are amazing and overcome some major obstacles. Some are dealing with homelessness, not having enough food or childcare needs. That’s partly what sets Eastern apart—we cater to all kinds of students who are committed to making this happen.

Surprising Fact

I live on a ranch with cats, dogs and three horses. That’s a job in itself but, you can also look at it as a stress reliever.

Next Goal

We're working towards having both advising and career advising be a part of every EMU student's experience. Right now, students who seek us out get career coaching and our freshmen have to see an advisor before they can register for the next semester. However, once they get beyond that they don’t really have to come see us for the most part. Finding some way to make it more integrated into every student's experience we think would be helpful in the long run.

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