Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I’m from a small farming hamlet called Halkirk, east of Red Deer. When I was 16, I moved to Rocky Mountain House and finished high school there. After high school, I went to the University of Alberta and earned a Bachelor of Education. After graduating, my husband, Greg, and I were trying to establish our careers, and a great opportunity opened up at the U of A as an alumni relations officer in the Faculty of Education. While I worked there, I saw a posting for a position in the School of Health Sciences, as it was known then, at the University of Lethbridge. Greg is from Lethbridge, and I knew he wanted to return, so I applied and was very fortunate to be the successful candidate — even after being half an hour late for my interview because of a very animated and lovely tour guide (shout out to Sam Dill, a former nursing faculty member). About 10 years ago, I joined the Enrolment Services team as the Orientation and Transition Coordinator. Then, after the pandemic, I became the Manager of the National Recruitment Team.
What does your role involve?
We have a team of eight recruitment officers, two in Calgary and six in Lethbridge. My role is to support the strategic development of a recruitment plan while figuring out how we, in this current climate, maintain or improve our domestic enrolment — no small task. Luckily, I have an incredibly talented team. They make it much easier during a time when many things are difficult. Having a top-notch, talented team has really helped.
Recruitment is so much more than a poster or standing at a table. It’s strategically looking at the information available to you in each of the demographic areas or “territories” that you’re going to, the key industries, the closest post-secondary institutions and their flagship programs and where there might be daylight between them and us, leading to a potential foothold for us.
The enrolment picture has changed, which has maybe put a spotlight on domestic enrolment. It’s not that it’s a terrible thing that we are thinking strategically about how we can best meet the needs of domestic students, but the emphasis has changed dramatically. Other components are at play where the population of university- or college-aged students is decreasing in Alberta, and we’re seeing a change in the post-secondary landscape with the rise of polytechnics, which are degree-granting institutions. Now we’re in an environment where it takes a little bit more thought and strategy to understand how we can best meet the needs of prospective students while also standing proudly in who we are as an institution and the programs we offer. At ULethbridge, we have both flagship programs and lesser-known programs that meet the needs of our students very well, and we have a reputation for being able to serve students, both academically and on the student service side. The team we have supporting students on this and our Calgary campus is exceptional, and we are continually building the strategic messaging to show prospective students that this truly sets us apart from other institutions.
What do you like to do when you’re not working?
I’m often at the ice rinks because my kids play hockey. I don’t know that I love hockey, but they love hockey, and I love them, so maybe that means I love hockey. As a family, we love hiking and spend a lot of time in the mountains in the summer. We’re very fortunate that my husband’s family has a cabin just outside of Rocky Mountain House, and we get there when we can. I’d like to claim I’m athletic or well-read, but honestly, I really love Bravo TV and being with people who feel like sunshine.
When you look back at your time at ULethbridge, what stands out?
Without question, the people. My experience here at the University for the last 17 and a half years has allowed me to excel, and I am so grateful for every experience, every person that I’ve had the opportunity to grow alongside, get mentorship from or to mentor. It’s been such a gift — there’ve been good times and bad times, for sure — but the people who’ve worked beside me, who have encouraged me, brainstormed with me, challenged me, who I learned with and from, they have forever changed me and shaped me as a professional and a person. I am so grateful.
What’s ahead?
I will be working for the City of Lethbridge as Education and Outreach Lead. This gives me an opportunity to lead a team whose whole purpose is to provide and share information and education about what’s happening in the city and the programs being offered. I’m sad to be leaving the team I have here, but I am excited to meet and make a new team in my next role.
