“There is no time like college and there is no place like Puget Sound, where you are able to do and be a part of such a variety of activities at once.”
Do you adore Puget Sound? Like Lily Steller ’24, you might discover that your knowledge and love of the university make you an ideal candidate for a professional role here after you graduate!
Tell us about your current work.
I was hired as an Admission Officer at the University of Puget Sound following graduation in May of 2024. I work with prospective students and their families in Southern California, Texas, and Oklahoma throughout the admissions cycle.
In the Fall, I get to travel to these regions to meet with interested students to walk them through the application process and help them better figure out if Puget Sound is a good fit. In the Winter, I read applications and as a team we make admittance decisions. The Spring is all about getting students to make their final decisions through admitted student events and continuing to connect with future loggers.
Being able to guide students down a similar path that I went down only four short years ago was an obvious draw to this role. There were certainly a few other factors that drew me to this role as well — from staying in the PNW post-grad, to work travel, and the combination of social and independent aspects of this job.
Since attending college here, I have become a huge fan of Tacoma and the Pacific Northwest. I feel so lucky to call such a beautiful place home and I was simply not ready to leave right after graduation. The travel component was also a really exciting aspect of this work. I love to travel and have always wondered what it would be like to travel for work. I never imagined it coming so early on in my career.
Another major aspect drawing me to this role was the combination of working with others and working independently that this job brings. I consider myself an introvert with occasional bursts of social energy and this job really seems to be perfect for that.
Lastly, through many of my roles on campus I have identified that I am interested in service-oriented roles and that I really enjoy being able to help people. Working with students has also been particularly fun because it’s just such an interesting time in life filled with so much ambition and curiosity.
How did you get in to this line of work?
If there was one thing that I wouldn’t have expected from college, it was the amount of work experience that I gained.
I was a Resident Assistant, Experiential Learning Program Assistant, Academic Peer Advisor, and part of the ASUPS Executive Cabinet. I can confidently say that all of my on-campus work experiences prepared me in some way for the admissions role that I am currently working in — contributing to my knowledge of the university in addition to building interpersonal skills, organizational abilities, and accountability. It was a busy few years in and outside the classroom but I could not be more grateful for the work experience and friendships I gained through on-campus jobs.
During my year as an RA to 40 first-year students, I got to be a mentor, build community, and even met some of my best friends who were on the RA Team. I never intended to be an RA. After some of my housing plans fell through, I applied on a whim and became an RA for the incoming BLP cohort. It was definitely a silver-lining situation and this experience propelled me to want to be more involved in the campus community and to become a student leader.
After returning from study abroad, I started as an Experiential Learning Program Assistant where I got to support various EXLN programs and focus on marketing efforts. This role taught me a lot of project management skills and provided me with tons of institutional knowledge, which has been applicable in my current role. It was also an absolutely amazing team to be a part of and I took away a lot about workplace culture and leadership styles.
In senior year, I was an academic peer advisor. This role reinforced a lot of what I had learned about myself while being an RA. I really enjoy being in service-oriented, guidance-related roles, and especially working with student populations. Beyond this, the role also helped me to build more time-management, organizational, interpersonal, and communication skills.
Another thing I never anticipated being a part of in college was the student government. I thought student government was a place for either ultra-spirited campus cheerleaders, or politics students who wanted a taste of a governmental structure. I was neither of those things but found myself as the ASUPS Director of Events and Public Relations in my senior year. I worked with the ASUPS Executive Cabinet to coordinate major campus events such as LogJam, Homecoming Spirit Week, and Senior Wine Night. I also got to oversee the programming board, which gave me so much insight to an area of campus I didn’t know much about. I feel I was able to gain organizational skills and discover more about my leadership style in this role.
How did Puget Sound prepare you for your career path?
I feel like many of my experiences at Puget Sound have prepared me to be comfortable with the uncomfortable. I am not fearful, but rather excited to embark on a career path that’s not entirely linear, but touches a variety of industries and roles. I have the liberal arts to thank for this outlook on my career path and I am confident that all of my experiences will connect somehow even if it’s not totally clear at the moment.
My study abroad experience where I took a course on social innovation, and my internship at a non-profit highlighted that I want to be part of an organization with strong values and a social mission. At Puget Sound there were also some key courses that reinforced this, like Green Germany and Corporate Social Responsibility & Law.
It is also totally worth noting my four years on the Varsity crew team. I know I can always turn to this experience to demonstrate my reliability, determination, and ability to work on teams. I highly encourage you to go try crew. I assure you, you will not only come out of it more fit, but a lot more disciplined, and with lifelong friends.
As for next steps in my career I am looking for more ways to combine some of my passions and academic interests from college. Writing my undergraduate IPE thesis on plant-based milk and its role in changing global food systems was a huge moment of both pride and ambition for myself. I want to become a leader in transforming our global food systems to be more sustainable, nutritious, and equitable.
I will always have a love for working with students, and believe I have a place in higher education and mentoring roles, but I am also excited to see what my career path brings next.
Did you use CES when you were a student?
Why would you not? My first time meeting with a CES Advisor was probably my sophomore year, where I likely just sat there and whined for an hour about how I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. Being a part of the BLP, I also went to lots of seminars hosted by CES. These sessions were always very insightful and offered a new perspective on navigating career paths.
Eventually I started seeking out internships, and CES played an instrumental role in that. I will never forget this random night during my study abroad when I logged on to a virtual CES Career Fair at like 11:00 p.m. I talked with the representatives of a non-profit organization called Skookum Contract Services in Bremerton, WA and I ended up doing a summer internship there. This was a great way to explore my interest in non-profit work.
I could not be more grateful to CES for the events that they put together for students. EXLN 296 with Nicole Kendrick was also a phenomenal way to reflect upon my internship throughout that summer and the bigger picture of it all.
Finally, I also enrolled in EXLN 401 with Sara Winland my last semester of senior year, which was an awesome way to hold me accountable in the job search and receive lots of feedback on resumes and cover letters. I also did a few mock interviews with CES in my senior year, which was beyond helpful. Throughout my many times visiting CES, I always felt heard, supported, and encouraged by staff members.
Final advice?
There is no time like college and there is no place like Puget Sound, where you are able to do and be a part of such a variety of activities at once. Embrace it and know that you can always step back if it becomes too much. Take chances and don’t be afraid to go off on a whim even if you only have the slight inkling or desire to do something.
I think it all comes down to being present in college and not stressing too much about what the future holds. There are so many ways to still be present during college but also simultaneously prepare for what comes after. That’s what experiential learning here at Puget Sound is all about. You should definitely spend some time talking to all the folks in Experiential Learning, CES, and International Programs.
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Wondering how your on-campus jobs and activities might translate to your resume or point to a future career? Make an appointment with a CES advisor. We’d love to help you figure it out!
📷 Lily Steller | Collage by Kris Hay
