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At Eau Claire, Kocken has responsibility for admissions for first-year and transfer students, and for evaluating their residency status. She\u2019s been doing staff and committee meetings virtually, and was right in the middle of a search and screen committee assignment when the pandemic hit. \u201cWe were asked to stay safer at home, so we transitioned our search and screen to all online.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThis last semester, I took a class with Simone (Concei\u00e7\u00e3o, professor and coordinator of the program) that talked about the practical applications using a lot of the different programs like Zoom and Blue Jeans and Webex and Blackboard Collaborate,\u201d said Kocken. \u201cFor me, using those platforms and getting the real-time practice in using asynchronous platforms made me really confident in using those with students.\u201d<\/p>\n
Stephanie Dooge started her job at Carroll a year into her program at 51ÁÔÆæ, and graduated in May 2020. Her job involves working with student organizations and programs. She\u2019s been able to put the skills she learned at 51ÁÔÆæ to work quickly to help transition the fun and social activities that are a vital part of the college experience to a virtual environment.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re in a global pandemic, so it\u2019s a great time for me to practice those skills that I was already using. We were already trying to increase our online presence, but when our university shut down and we all had to go remote, I was able to go into the redesign and refocus of our programs without much anxiety.\u201d<\/p>\n Carly Weckwerth works for Milwaukee Public Schools as a planning assistant with the College and Career Center. She\u2019s based at South Division High School, and works primarily with students to make the transition from high school to a career or college.<\/p>\n While dealing with the pandemic is challenging, the ACHEA program really helped her become comfortable with technology, she said. She already had a Facebook page to connect with her students after they graduated, but when the pandemic hit, she opened it to all the students she was working with. One of her students helped her set up a chat room to help everyone keep in touch. Being able to work with alternative technologies is vital for anyone working with teens, she added. \u201cIf it\u2019s not on Facebook or an Instagram group, they might miss it. They\u2019re mostly not turning on (TV for news) and seeing what\u2019s going on.\u201d<\/p>\n Cramer found the online transition challenging for the students she works with because most are first-generation college students and\/or low income. They have to overcome the digital divide \u2013 a lack of computers, iPads, software and internet access.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re working to overcome that gap,\u201d she said. Cramer has a real passion for the work, she added, and the master\u2019s degree program has helped prepare her to deal with the new issues caused by the pandemic.<\/p>\n Graduates like Cramer and Weckwerth said what they learned has helped them both with advising and with projects as complex as filling out FAFSA (financial aid) forms. Weckwerth added that the leadership skills she learned through the Administrative Leadership program also helped with the transition \u2013 she generally could move ahead without waiting for precise instructions on what to do. \u201cIt groomed all of us to be proactive, to be creative, to be goal-oriented and solutions-oriented and be strategic planners.\u201d<\/p>\n This past summer, she worked with students to help avoid \u201csummer melt\u201d of skills and knowledge, and planning for the continuing challenge of working virtually through the fall. But she felt prepared, Weckwerth said.<\/p>\n \u201cI know that I\u2019m absolutely more prepared with the skills and knowledge I got out of the ACHEA program. I don\u2019t think I\u2019d be as solid with my foundation and where I\u2019m at with my career if I didn\u2019t have the most current knowledge.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/41\/2020\/10\/s-dooge-achea-news-web250x300.jpg\")
\n\u201cPre-COVID-19, I had two years of experience of doing my classwork and engaging in discussion and real in-depth critiques of literature online. So once this hit, I was so used to jumping on my computer and communicating with people so that wasn\u2019t a huge transition. It wasn\u2019t as much of a shock to my system.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/41\/2020\/10\/Malllory_Cramer-achea-news-web250x300.jpg\")