If you told 18-year-old me that I’d end up working in education, I would’ve laughed, cried, or maybe just walked away pretending I didn’t hear you. It wasn’t my first choice. Honestly, it probably wasn’t my second either. But somehow, here I am - working at NCC in admissions - and I can’t even lie… I’ve found my home in higher ed.

Growing up, I was basically a professional new kid. My family moved from one small town to another, which meant new schools, new hallways to get lost in, and new cliques to awkwardly navigate. I loved learning (still do), but I quickly developed a love-hate relationship with school. Every place ran things so differently, it felt like hopping between parallel universes with their own weird rules.

By the time I hit college, I had zero intention of working in education. I was going to be a doctor. Or a biologist. Or a conservationist saving the planet - something involving science, goggles, and dramatic lab coats. Spoiler alert: none of that happened. The long, winding road of “not becoming a scientist” eventually dropped me off right here at NCC.

When I started at the college back in 2021, I wasn’t sure if it would be a good fit. My background was in - nearly a decade of working with schools, students, and teachers from the outside. I had a unique perspective, sure, but something had changed: my love for helping students take control of their own education had grown into a full-on wildfire.  Watching students find their passions, build goals, and realize “Hey, I can do this college thing” lit me up inside. Working in admissions gave me the best of both worlds - education and empowerment - with just enough chaos to keep it interesting.

Fast forward to 2025. Our longtime director announced her retirement, and I was torn. I loved NCC, but as a single mom of two boys, the thought of stepping into that level of responsibility was intimidating. Anyone in admissions knows this role doesn’t come with one hat - it comes with a whole closet. Picture a movie montage of someone frantically trying on outfits: buttoning, zipping, sweating, crying a little, forcing things to fit. That’s admissions life.

We’re constantly switching gears to meet faculty needs, balancing empathy with policy, and navigating endless emails from students, families, helicopter parents, and counselors who seem to get their rules from a magic 8-ball. It’s a lot. But I applied anyway. I questioned myself approximately 47 times a day, but I realized it wasn’t fear - it was respect. Respect for the position, for my team, and for this college.

Now that I’ve officially been Director since August 1st, I can say this: it’s been a whirlwind of learning, meetings, caffeine, anxiety, and joy (not necessarily in that order). My predecessor gave me an incredible foundation, but let’s be real - no one can download 20+ years of institutional knowledge into your brain in a few weeks.

People ask what the hardest part of becoming a director is. Honestly? It’s not the work. I love the work. Helping students, cheering them on, being part of their story...it’s the best part of my day. The hardest part has been shifting from coworker to director. My team is tight-knit, like “we’ve seen each other at our worst during Thunder Fridays” level tight. We all know each other’s strengths and weaknesses, and somehow, it all fits together.

It’s been messy, beautiful, and occasionally fueled by coffee and controlled chaos - but I wouldn’t trade it for anything.