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Degree and Year: BJ '76 Place of Employment: EDS Title: Admissions Director City and State: Lake Charles, La. Where do you work? EDS is a small private school for ages pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. Located in Lake Charles, La., EDS emphasizes small classes, strength in math, science and the arts, and experiential learning. I am the Admissions Director. How did you get your job? I have had several careers from television anchoring and producing in several markets to television creative services, hospital marketing, mall marketing...and now private school admissions. We have lived in Lake Charles for a little over 20 years. It is a small town. Our daughter attended EDS through fifth grade, and I socialize with many of the people in the front office. The Admissions director moved out of town two years ago and I was not working at the time (or planning to work) so I filled in temporarily until they found a suitable replacement. In addition to Admissions I also do Annual Giving and other special projects. Describe an average work day: Among the joys of the job...much like reporting...there is no average work day. We are in the middle of new student enrollment, ending our Annual Giving campaign, beginning Summer School publicity, winding down our year-long 50th anniversary activities...those are among the activities on top of my desk. In addition, I have been trying to work with in-house marketing: working with teachers and staff to create a different professional culture. Some mornings I'm here at 7 a.m. Some evenings I'm here until 8 or 9. It just depends on activities. Technically I'm a part-time employee, but it isn't a part time job so I balance the paid part with a considerable amount of volunteerism. This is an organization or 'product' in which I believe and I am happy to work well beyond expectations. What is the best professional lesson you learned from the J-School? Accuracy and truth - (...and the truth shall set you free!) Anything that cannot be supported by truth and accuracy is an inappropriate use of time, talent and resources. What advantages did the J-School give you? In general, the Missouri name had cache and resulted in interviews when graduates from other programs may not have been given an interview. Once on the job, the hands-on experiences at KOMU and KBIA served me well. I had already encountered many situations that would have been difficult in a 'first job' situation. We did not learn 'in theory.' We had actual experience and came to our first jobs with that experience. What is your best advice for current students? Be open to all options and opportunities. My husband (also a Mizzou grad) is general manager of the NBC affiliate in Lake Charles. It is a small market station and is truly a fifth year of college for many students coming out of school entering the work force. Many Mizzou graduates know they are destined for large markets, major corporations or very 'big deal' communication groups based on their superior training. It is excellent training, but there is a seasoning that takes place in a first job no matter how accomplished you are. Current state of professional life? Ha! I thoroughly enjoy the Admissions job. Additionally, I write ads and do voice-over spots for a few people here and there. I have retired from many boards having served in communication capacities for them. I have helped with a few political campaigns as a scheduler and in communications. I have written for a bi-weekly news magazine. At this point I find myself in a transitional mode. I regularly encourage my current employer to find the right person for Admissions because I am valuing time to myself these days. This hasn't happened yet. I have a book started (who doesn't) and I write little magazine articles from time to time; generally observations from former work experiences or current kid things. Actually, I have been fortunate that I have not had to stick with one job forever. My personality does not lend itself to that and our fates and fortunes in the television industry have allowed my husband to be in an excellent situation. I have recognized that I am a sprinter. I can drop into a work situation, analyze the landscape and either recommend changes for more efficiency or increased output...or make the changes myself and then be off to the next great project. Perhaps it's getting time for the next great project. Biggest professional accomplishment? The big accomplishment may yet have happened! Hmmm. In thinking back on the variety of things I have accomplished perhaps the most satisfying came in a collaborative effort with a registered nurse in a project called The National Heart Attack Risk Study. She was the medical end, I was the organization and communication end of a project designed to create cardiac health awareness in a local population who would rather enjoy their shrimp and crawfish po-boys than know their HDL and LDL levels. We developed a large following of people in businesses, schools and the general public who had their blood, weight and pressure checked every four weeks for three years. This developed a model for the participants on how to modify their life-styles to either keep their numbers good or to improve the numbers and it gave the hospital credible data to build necessary programs, attract medical specialties and other developmental findings pursuant to cardiac health and wellness. The skills I brought to the table included coalition building, collaboration with other health institutions, publicity, employee training and working with various media sources to recognize the importance of the data being collected. Although not earth shaking in the grand scheme of things, I think this was a better use of my time than winning several Telly Awards for 30-second television commercials...that while somewhat clever and visually appealing, did not help save lives. 
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| Revised: 16 May 2007. Copyright © 2008 The Curators of the University of Missouri | Contact the J-School | |
