While working on her undergraduate degree at UW-Whitewater, Cherish learned about the High Education Leadership program while working in the LGBT* resource center. Since she enjoyed the small class sizes and liked the curriculum, continuing her education at UW-Whitewater seemed like an easy choice. She stated the faculty and advising helped her most to be successful in the program.
One of the most memorable things that Cherish did while at Whitewater was her capstone project. She wrote a proposal to have University Health and Counseling Services (UHCS) provide hormone replacement to transgender students. The most memorable part was actually putting it into practice by meeting with UHCS and the LGBT* coordinator, showing that your capstone proposals really can be put into action.
When asked what advice she has for current students she stated to make sure you get an internship or GA position, that deals with soft skills and conflict resolution. “Navigating conversations, redirecting, deflecting from problematic topics, and keeping the conversation going when speaking with a quite student,” are important soft skills you can only learn from doing and not necessarily in the classroom. Also, when looking for a job, “really research the institution as a whole.” Be sure to learn about the climate and culture of the institution, so you can use it to your advantage when working there.
Cherish is currently an admissions counselor at Beloit College, “helping [students and parents] with the college search and application process.” She states that specific classes have helped her greatly in her career. “my assessment and diversity/equality courses helped prepare me to [work] with students.”
