CCC Cares Employee Spotlight

What is your role at Camden County College?
Thanks for inviting me to answer these questions for the Employee Spotlight! So, I work as the Learning Coach on the Blackwood campus. Basically, I tutor one-on-one and in groups, facilitate educational workshops, and support the managing of the tutoring center.

When did you begin your role?
September 2023, so about two and a half years ago.

What has been your favorite part of working here so far?
The people I work with–sincerely. All the people I’ve encountered at Camden, Blackwood, Rohrer, just seem like they care and like they’re all just trying their best. I don’t mean merely trying their best at their work, though I imagine that is true, I mean trying their best at looking out for the well being of one another. I have both observed and received so much generosity, hospitality, kindness, compassion, understanding, patience, flexibility, and I could probably go on, from the time I got here. And I’ve seen it from HR to Public Safety to deans to higher leadership, and all the way down. You can’t ask for more than a place of integrity and mutual care and, while none of us are perfect and no community is perfect, I think we’re all just trying our best for each other together as a community. That’s how I experience it anyway.

Is there anything people don’t understand about your job that you wish they did?
Maybe just that my position is very student-facing, so I don’t get to work with or interact with my colleagues a lot of the time, which is fine, some positions are just like that. But anyone is always welcome to stop and say “Hi” or chat for a bit if you ever feel so inclined and happen to have the time!

Do you ever imagine yourself in another occupation? If so, which one and why?
I try not to spend my energy on imagining myself in a job I don’t have! Haha. But could I imagine myself in a different occupation? Sure! When I was an adolescent I thought I might write novels or speak publicly in intellectual forums for inter-philosophical and inter-religious dialog and write on those topics–pretty tough to get as a day job though! Haha. But I could imagine myself as a full-time professor of philosophy because that was my original trajectory when I went to school after college, it’s just that paying off student loans, getting married, and having a child all redirect and slow down whatever trajectory you had. Haha. And that’s just fine, I try to never be in a hurry with the brief 80 years I have.

Do you have any hidden talents or unique hobbies? Share them with us!
Sure! I feel like most of my hobbies have gone into hibernation in this season of my life, but the most unique are the whole mysticism/monasticism/world religions/philosophy/theology set of interests, and then music theory, and also enjoying traditional Celtic folk music, and all indigenous folk music, really. To say nothing of my ordinary hobbies. As for hidden talents, I can make a very mildly convincing sound of a bird tweeting by whistling through my teeth– it’s my one claim to fame! Haha.

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?
I’m not one who thinks a lot about traveling, I tend to be a bit of a homebody, though I’ve loved everywhere I’ve gotten to travel to. This is such a hard question because I think every region of the world is fascinating and has many beautiful things to offer. If I had to pick just one, it would probably be the Holy Land, to walk where Jesus walked and lived, not to mention all the history and culture of various peoples and traditions that also intersects there.

What’s your favorite book/movie genre or your all-time favorite title?
was thinking about this recently and I think my favorite genre of movies is the ones that move through the full scope of human life, I think they might be called ‘cradle to grave’ narratives. And my all-time favorite movie is probably the romantic comedy “About Time” (2013). It moves me to tears nearly every time I watch it, and I don’t cry at movies. If you haven’t seen it, it’s worth a watch! Thanks for letting me share.