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Sally Parish
Assistant Director, Student Orientation & Leadership Development
University of Tennessee
Knoxville, Tennessee
29,934 students (21,182 undergraduate)

 

How would you represent Student Affairs in a picture?

The one thing that truly represents Student Affairs to me, is actually not a “thing” at all. I could not imagine a better representation of our work, than a student who has benefitted from it. The reason that I am a Student Affairs Professional is because I am truly passionate about helping students to find their place on a college campus. Featured in this picture is Courtney Putzel, a junior at The University of Tennessee, who found her passion through her life outside of the classroom at UTK and inspires others to do the same. What she probably doesn’t know, is that she is also an inspiration for me as a professional to always put students first in all that I do. For that reason, she wholly represents the essence of our work, and the reason I am always grateful to wake up every morning and have the opportunity to do what I love!

A Day in the Life…

6:30 a.m.

 Wake up, eat breakfast, and get ready for work! (back to schedule)

7:30 a.m.

 Check my calendar before leaving for the office. (back to schedule)

8:00 a.m.

 Leave for work (always running late) (back to schedule)

8:30 a.m.

 Arrive in the office, check email and plan for the day ahead! (back to schedule)

9:00 a.m.

 Touch base with Graduate Assistants in the Office. (back to schedule)

9:30 a.m.

 Chat with students who stop by =) (back to schedule)

10:00 a.m.

 Teach First Year Studies, a course designed to introduce students to life at The University of Tennessee. My section is specifically for students in the Leadership Learning Community, which I advise. (back to schedule)

11:30 a.m.

 Walk across campus, usually with my peer mentors from class. (back to schedule)
12:00 p.m. Lunch with a student =)(back to schedule)
1:00 p.m. Committee Meeting time- I serve on various committees at The University of Tennessee, and meet regularly with these groups. (back to schedule)
2:00 p.m. Collect materials & make contacts regarding an upcoming Transfer Orientation session. (back to schedule)
3:00 p.m. Ignite Team Leader meeting. On an average week, I meet with four groups of student leaders within our office. These meetings focus on leadership development training & discussion of the events in the week ahead for our programs. These are always fun!(back to schedule)
5:00 p.m. Check emails, and work on any projects I may have. (back to schedule)
5:30 p.m. Present a leadership program to a student group on campus. These are usually on a weekly basis and range from True Colors, to values, to diversity, etc. (back to schedule)
7:00 p.m. Go home, spend time with my husband and dogs! Cook dinner, go to the gym, watch a movie, etc. (back to schedule)
10:00 p.m. Check email one last time before bed, and respond to any urgent messages(back to schedule)
11:00 p.m. Bedtime! (back to schedule)