What is your job title?
Administrative Specialist, Academic - Gerontology Institute
Would you care to share a little background on your immediate family or family history?
I am a newly- wed with a blended family. My husband’s name is Roy Cummings and we have been married for 2 months. We have four children: Aaron, Ciera, Mason, and Jordin.
How long have you been working at Georgia State University?
I have been working at Georgia State since August 2009. I started as a student research assistant on the Urban Health Initiative in Sociology. I was hired by the Gerontology Institute in January of 2010 as a part-time employee and hired full time in May 2011.
What do you do on a typical day?
I advise both undergraduate and graduate students. I help students plan internship experiences, set career goals and provide guidance on course requirements. I also assist with marketing the department to new students by attending conferences, planning on campus recruitment events and coordinating community outreach. I perform a variety of administrative task and update the institute’s website.
What is your background?
I have a B.A. in Sociology from Georgia State 2009 and an MPA from Andrew Young School of Policy Studies at Georgia State (2011). I spent 8 years in the United States Marine Corp Reserve as a Financial Analyst. I also spent 13 years as a Restaurant Manager before deciding to change career paths and come back to school full time in 2008. My professional background is filled with many twists and turns so I am able to bring my experience into my current role of helping students map out their career plans.
What do you do when you're not at work?
I try to spend my free time my husband and my children. We are always doing some family friendly activities. Since I am a newly-wed, I particularly love date nights. My husband and I go to the Aquarium, the High Museum, or dinner often and this is our chance to reconnect and catch-up after a busy week of school and work.
What's your favorite thing in your office?
I love my office because we embody a team spirit. We have a very small institute that is quickly out growing our capacity but we all work together to get the job done. We have almost doubled our student enrollment in one year and we are working very hard to keep this momentum going.
What don't people know about you?
I used to be an awesome basketball player. I played basketball for almost 20 years and I made the varsity basketball team as a freshman.
If you weren't working at Georgia State, what would your ideal job be?
I have an entrepreneurial spirit and my ideal job would be working for myself. I have a catering company and a small journal writing business. Both of my businesses are in the beginning phases but they are well underway.