1.) What was one take away that you learned from working in FYE?
It is really hard to narrow it down to just one! However, one take away that I learned from working in FYE is that “team work makes the dream work.” Being able to work collaboratively among the other Graduate Retention Fellows in addition to the First Year Mentors and Office Assistants is critical to the success of FYE’s programs, initiatives, and day-to-day operations. I have seen the importance of team work and group dynamics continue to play out in my first full-time position after FYE, and how everyone’s active roles directly contribute to my department’s goals and outcomes.
2.) How did your experience in FYE prepare you for your first job after Salem State?
Overall, FYE can prepare you for a variety of functional areas within student and academic affairs. FYE is under Academic Affairs at Salem State, but I loved the blend of experiences we would have between faculty and Student Affairs. The interactions I had working with faculty and staff allowed me to build strong partnerships across academic departments in my first position so that I had a thorough understanding of the different programs and how we can work together to best support student success. Working with Student Affairs has also been integral to my work to ensure holistic support for our students.
As a Graduate Retention Fellow in FYE, I would meet with first year students one-on-one that received academic warnings based on their fall semester grades. In these meetings, we would talk about a variety of topics such as time management, test-taking strategies, study skills, note-taking, and campus resources. Similarly, as a Student Success Coach, I primarily work one-on-one with students in our accelerated bachelor degree programs who are on academic probation or receive mid-semester warnings. I meet with them to discuss the same topics (time management, test-taking, etc.) in addition to stress management, test anxiety, and other personal factors that may be hindering their success. I work with the student to create goals and an individualized academic improvement plan to help them stay on track towards good academic standing for the end of the semester.
FYE offers projects and responsibilities that provide transferable skills and experiences that will be helpful in your first full-time position after SSU. It’s important to take on responsibilities and projects that not only interest you, but will also challenge you to think critically. Although my position is more academic in nature, I still have a lot of opportunities for programming within our office and collaboration with the Student Affairs offices. For example, working on First Generation initiatives and being on the First Year Reading Experience Committee were two experiences that prepared me for participating on a First Generation Committee at MCPHS University and planning our First Generation program called First Flight that launched in Fall 2016. Our efforts were recognized by the University at an Employee Appreciation Event in May 2017 where we received the Inspiration Award!
3.)What is your favorite memory/the best part of working in FYE?
The best part about working in FYE is that no two days are ever the same. Tasks vary throughout the day. In an eight-hour shift, I could be having students come in to meet with me, presenting a Student Success workshop, supervising First Year Mentors, and asking students to pose with an eight-foot inflatable dinosaur if their first year at Salem State was “dino-mite.” Those days always kept me engaged by working hard and having fun.
4.) What skills did you learn from working in FYE, how are they applicable to your current job.
From working in FYE, I gained numerous experiences and skills that relate directly to the NASPA/ACPA Professional Competencies, which was great for creating my E-Portfolio for Capstone. Helping skills and advising were important skillsets that that I gained from my time with FYE and are skills that I used every day in my interactions with students. My critical thinking and problem solving skills were also honed, as FYE is an autonomous work environment and the work challenged me to consider multiple perspectives and think outside the box to brainstorm options and execute a decision or plan. My current position is autonomous as well so I am always utilizing those skills. FYE also taught me skills when managing events, projects, and developing student leadership trainings. I am the Chair of our department’s Programming Committee where I oversee a programming budget and spearhead our office’s programs and events from start to finish. From supervising the Peer Mentors, I have applied those leadership development skills to contribute to student leadership trainings for Peer Mentors, Peer Tutors, Orientation Leaders, and RAs.
5.) In What way(s) do you feel like FYE supported you in your growth throughout the HESA program?
FYE helped me grow both personally and professionally throughout my time as a graduate student. The Director of FYE Mathew Chetnik is a wonderful supervisor who takes each one of his grads’ strengths, areas of improvement, interests, and professional goals into consideration to help them get the most of out of the Graduate Retention Fellowship. I also felt very supported in the sense that everything was a learning experience, and if something did not go according to plan, Mathew and other FYE grads were there to help me process the situation and provide feedback for me on how to improve for next time. Mathew could help us connect theory learned in our HESA program courses to practice by sharing scholarly journal articles and other readings with us that directly shaped FYE’s mission and programs. In Mathew, I found a reliable supervisor and mentor who was able to provide me feedback on my resume and cover letters, E-portfolio, and interview skills when applying for my NODA Internship and a full-time position.
6.) What is one piece of advice you would like to give a first year graduate student who is about to start their Graduate retention fellow in FYE?
Be prepared to roll up your sleeves, be a team player, and be ready to hit the ground running from the moment you arrive for FYE training. Make the most out of this amazing opportunity!
It is really hard to narrow it down to just one! However, one take away that I learned from working in FYE is that “team work makes the dream work.” Being able to work collaboratively among the other Graduate Retention Fellows in addition to the First Year Mentors and Office Assistants is critical to the success of FYE’s programs, initiatives, and day-to-day operations. I have seen the importance of team work and group dynamics continue to play out in my first full-time position after FYE, and how everyone’s active roles directly contribute to my department’s goals and outcomes.
2.) How did your experience in FYE prepare you for your first job after Salem State?
Overall, FYE can prepare you for a variety of functional areas within student and academic affairs. FYE is under Academic Affairs at Salem State, but I loved the blend of experiences we would have between faculty and Student Affairs. The interactions I had working with faculty and staff allowed me to build strong partnerships across academic departments in my first position so that I had a thorough understanding of the different programs and how we can work together to best support student success. Working with Student Affairs has also been integral to my work to ensure holistic support for our students.
As a Graduate Retention Fellow in FYE, I would meet with first year students one-on-one that received academic warnings based on their fall semester grades. In these meetings, we would talk about a variety of topics such as time management, test-taking strategies, study skills, note-taking, and campus resources. Similarly, as a Student Success Coach, I primarily work one-on-one with students in our accelerated bachelor degree programs who are on academic probation or receive mid-semester warnings. I meet with them to discuss the same topics (time management, test-taking, etc.) in addition to stress management, test anxiety, and other personal factors that may be hindering their success. I work with the student to create goals and an individualized academic improvement plan to help them stay on track towards good academic standing for the end of the semester.
FYE offers projects and responsibilities that provide transferable skills and experiences that will be helpful in your first full-time position after SSU. It’s important to take on responsibilities and projects that not only interest you, but will also challenge you to think critically. Although my position is more academic in nature, I still have a lot of opportunities for programming within our office and collaboration with the Student Affairs offices. For example, working on First Generation initiatives and being on the First Year Reading Experience Committee were two experiences that prepared me for participating on a First Generation Committee at MCPHS University and planning our First Generation program called First Flight that launched in Fall 2016. Our efforts were recognized by the University at an Employee Appreciation Event in May 2017 where we received the Inspiration Award!
3.)What is your favorite memory/the best part of working in FYE?
The best part about working in FYE is that no two days are ever the same. Tasks vary throughout the day. In an eight-hour shift, I could be having students come in to meet with me, presenting a Student Success workshop, supervising First Year Mentors, and asking students to pose with an eight-foot inflatable dinosaur if their first year at Salem State was “dino-mite.” Those days always kept me engaged by working hard and having fun.
4.) What skills did you learn from working in FYE, how are they applicable to your current job.
From working in FYE, I gained numerous experiences and skills that relate directly to the NASPA/ACPA Professional Competencies, which was great for creating my E-Portfolio for Capstone. Helping skills and advising were important skillsets that that I gained from my time with FYE and are skills that I used every day in my interactions with students. My critical thinking and problem solving skills were also honed, as FYE is an autonomous work environment and the work challenged me to consider multiple perspectives and think outside the box to brainstorm options and execute a decision or plan. My current position is autonomous as well so I am always utilizing those skills. FYE also taught me skills when managing events, projects, and developing student leadership trainings. I am the Chair of our department’s Programming Committee where I oversee a programming budget and spearhead our office’s programs and events from start to finish. From supervising the Peer Mentors, I have applied those leadership development skills to contribute to student leadership trainings for Peer Mentors, Peer Tutors, Orientation Leaders, and RAs.
5.) In What way(s) do you feel like FYE supported you in your growth throughout the HESA program?
FYE helped me grow both personally and professionally throughout my time as a graduate student. The Director of FYE Mathew Chetnik is a wonderful supervisor who takes each one of his grads’ strengths, areas of improvement, interests, and professional goals into consideration to help them get the most of out of the Graduate Retention Fellowship. I also felt very supported in the sense that everything was a learning experience, and if something did not go according to plan, Mathew and other FYE grads were there to help me process the situation and provide feedback for me on how to improve for next time. Mathew could help us connect theory learned in our HESA program courses to practice by sharing scholarly journal articles and other readings with us that directly shaped FYE’s mission and programs. In Mathew, I found a reliable supervisor and mentor who was able to provide me feedback on my resume and cover letters, E-portfolio, and interview skills when applying for my NODA Internship and a full-time position.
6.) What is one piece of advice you would like to give a first year graduate student who is about to start their Graduate retention fellow in FYE?
Be prepared to roll up your sleeves, be a team player, and be ready to hit the ground running from the moment you arrive for FYE training. Make the most out of this amazing opportunity!