Megan wears many hats as a Student Support Services Advisor.
She has
supported, advised and served as a professional mentor to over 100 students
each year and considers their academic needs her highest priority. Having
created a warm and welcoming environment for her students, they often drop
in just to relate good news regarding a project they’re working on or a
good grade they received in a difficult class. She is also the Coordinator
for the SSS Freshman Mentor Program which serves all freshmen who
participate in SSS. She supervises the Academic Mentor student workers as
well as 30-40 Peer Mentors. She has taught two sections of the University
class each fall since she began working with SSS in July 2007.
Megan planned and organized eight academic and social
activities this
year including those specific to Academic Success such as the Meet Your
Mentor Social and the Awards and Recognition Social as well as those that
were open to all UNK students, such as the Graduate School Seminar,
Quarterlife Crisis Workshop, Charm School and others. She assists with SAE
each summer advising new students and helping with the information tables.
Megan took it upon herself to organize a group of SSS Peer Mentors to
assist with Campus Kitchen through the fall 2009 semester. During the same
semester, she also served as a research mentor to a Thompson Scholar
Learning Community Student.
Megan has a “can-do” attitude and is quick to offer assistance
to
other staff in the Academic Success Offices as well as other UNK staff.
She has served on many committees including Student Life Professional
Development Committee, Academic Success Assessment Committee, MAEOPP (TRIO
regional professional organization) Scholarship Selection Committee as well
as many others. She has been a guest speaker and presented workshops on
study skills and time management skills to the Lambda Theta Nu sorority as
well as to other students in the Office of Multicultural Affairs, as part
of a working collaboration between Students Support Services and OMA.
Megan’s commitment towards excellence is seen on a daily basis
whether she’s assisting students with their class schedules or helping them
prepare essays for scholarships. Because of her efforts, Megan has been
instrumental in seeing her students awarded over $125,000 in scholarships
just in the last two years alone including the Susan Thompson Buffett
Scholarship, TRIO, Education Quest, and NU Paths scholarships. Megan’s
commitment toward excellence also applies to her personality as she was
working towards a Master’s Degree in Education with emphasis in Student
Affairs since she began her position in Student Support Services. She has
been able to adapt much of what she has learned in her graduate classes to
her duties as an Advisor. Meagan graduated and was awarded her Master’s
Degree this past May.
Megan is one to view a challenge as a learning opportunity
rather
than a barrier. Where others might see an obstacle, Megan sees a chance
for professional growth. She enthusiastically guides and supervises her
Academic Mentors, supporting their efforts to reach out to the community
around them. She assisted them in providing a children’s hands-on craft
workshop this spring at the Kearney Public Library and has also encouraged
and accompanied them as they gave presentations at the TRIO Student
Leadership Conference in Kansas City the past two years. Megan
enthusiastically supports professional development opportunities for all of
her students as well for the Academic Success staff.
Megan has received other awards such as the Outstanding
Student
Affairs Graduate Student of the Year, 2009-2010 and was inducted into the
Chi Sigma Iota Counseling Honor Society in 2009, along with other
professional memberships including MAEOPP.
Staff Senate would like to congratulate Megan on her selection
as the
Employee Achievement Award recipient.