Job Shadowing Experience 3

Amy Stever has been on my “advisory board” for a few years now; I really enjoy her energy, perspective on life, and respect her opinions and advice. Amy serves as the Director of Education Strategy and Planning in the College of IST. She’s been with the University 14+ years and in higher education for 27 and has managed to work her way up the ladder without a PhD behind her name. While that isn’t a big deal outside of the University, at Penn State, most often a PhD is required for upper level administration positions, even though the subject area studied may have no relevance to the job itself.

In the past when I was debating pursuing doctoral studies and questioning my path forward at the University, I met with Amy to pick her brain about how she got where she is professionally and why. Amy is very diplomatic, knowledgeable and also radiates a very warm personality — and because we once shared a ride to/from work, I have a very frank relationship with her and we can discuss things openly. When we met a few years back, I expressed that I was feeling a bit lost, with no clear path forward and no real desire to pursue a PhD. I was concerned that my lack of enthusiasm in pursing an advanced degree would stymie my career here at Penn State. And, big picture, I was really struggling with the question that my self, and worldly worth would be less if I didn’t have a career to identify with, or to hang my hat on. One of the things that Amy said that resonated with me is that years ago she decided not to pursue a PhD and build a life around her career. Instead, she had decided to place her values elsewhere, pursuing interests outside of the University to constitute her self and worldly worth or “identity”. She has been very active in her community, serving on the school board, the Rotary and involved in other service based organizations. She has built a resume of service that anyone could be proud of.

Until Amy mentioned the possibility of focusing on using non-work time to establish an “identity” (for lack of a better way to describe it), I hadn’t ever considered that approach as an option. I’m not sure why; my mother was very active in the community and dedicated her life to serving others in so many ways, so it isn’t like I didn’t have an amazing role model in this capacity. Perhaps it’s a value I determined long ago as I ogled over nice cars and expensive homes, or maybe it’s society’s value that I adopted over time: what you do = your identity (or self/worldly worth). Think about it, one of the first questions asked when meeting someone new is “what do you do?” or “where do you work?” In fact, the connection may start when we’re very young, with relatives asking, “what do you want to do when you grow up?” At one time I probably answered cowgirl, bus driver, or doctor, but honestly, I’ve never had a strong calling to a particular field of interest, and therefore, never really identified with any of my jobs per se. I’ve always been envious of those that have known for a long time that they wanted to be doctors, or teachers, or firefighters. Because of my lack of calling, I’ve always struggled with my “identity” and where I fit in. After talking with Amy and discovering her approach, I really started thinking differently about my values and how a career fits into that framework. This is fundamentally different than allowing a job or career determine my values.

More recently, Amy invited me to sit in on the IST statewide meeting for the College. Basically anyone that teaches online for the College of IST was present, either in person or via Zoom. It was great to hear about the challenges faced in a different college and the initiatives that are being implemented. I met some interesting people and was fortunate enough to sit in on a discussion regarding how their college is managing academic integrity issues. All in all, it was a great experience, and I’m glad that I was able to get some face time with the IST folks and hear about another college’s challenges and perspectives.

Amy will continue to be an invaluable resource to me. I have asked her to continue to serve on my board, as I find my way here at the University and beyond.