Sacramento Academic Advisor's Education Allows Her To Help Others

Oftentimes we give all of the credit to teachers and professors when it comes to education from Kindergarten to college, as we should. But we can't forget that an educational institution also runs on the backbone of a lot of hard-working men and women behind the scenes. These workers do plenty of the planning and day-to-day administrative tasks to ensure that the goals of the institution are being met, requirements on a state and federal level for education are being fulfilled and each department is adequately staffed with the right teachers (professors and teachers assistants) to make sure that classes won't be over-enrolled and instructors aren't swamped with work.

As Director of Academic Services at Northwest University in Sacramento, CA this encompasses Jennie Victoriano's career. Never losing sight of her clients, the students, Jennie does her best to fulfill the missions of her university as well as set and surpass goals in her career.

What does your job entail?

"Mainly I deal with student academic advising, creating course schedules, hiring and managing faculty and managing California state requirements."

What do you enjoy most about your job?

"Working with the faculty and students. It is inspiring to work alongside faculty that care about education, but care about people more. And at the same time, I have the privilege of joining students on their educational journey and watching them grow into passionate, responsible people."

What was your education?

"I have a Bachelor of Science in business, Bachelor of Art in Bible & ministry and a Master of Arts in Theology. I'm also starting my Ed.d. this summer."

Has your education helped in your line of work?

"Absolutely, my education has not only sharpened my administrative skills (communication, organization, etc.), but it has given me a platform in which to encourage students. It has taught me perseverance, determination and most importantly, how to reach towards goals I never thought possible."

Any advice for someone seeking a similar career?

"Typically, someone in my field is very administrative. My advice would be to never let the task(s) overshadow the people. We can't help but want to cross things off of our "to-do" lists, but being a valued part of people's stories is probably the most important part of this job."

Paulo Acoba is a California native raised in the Bay Area and living in the Central Valley. He enjoys distance running, cycling and grassroots motorsports. He holds a degree in management from the University of California Merced. Paulo has been writing for Examiner.com since 2012 and covering the Fresno area.