In 1999, I chose to attend Marquette University.  As a first generation college student, I cannot claim this decision was well calculated or thought out, but what transpired in those four years allowed me to not only learn and practice a trade that turned into my first career; but also learn and practice what it meant to be a woman for others and to be the difference which turned into my heart's work.

That being said, my philosophy aligns very closely with Marquette's mission involving:  excellence, faith, leadership, and service.  An overarching theme in each of these areas is the dynamic relationship I have with them, as they are ever-changing in my life.

Graduating high school, I was decorated with honors and showered with awards.  My head filled with calculus, physics, and a sprinkling of computer programming.  This was excellence to me.  I saw education as a ladder and I was at the highest rung.  I was learning and understanding things that seemed difficult to grasp for others and this would lead to a well paying career.  However, as I transformed and my worldview expanded, excellence came to mean so much more.  Excellence meant caring for the whole person:  my intellect was important, absolutely.  But so was my heart, spirit, and moral compass.  Excellence means caring for and growing all areas of my life, while also making myself a priority.

Faith is an area in my life that leaves me the most vulnerable, but argueably the most humbled.  I was raised a Roman Catholic and many members of my congregation watched me grow up in the front pew of our church.  Attending a Jesuit and Catholic university for both my undergraduate and graduate education allowed me to keep my faith at the forefront of my being but also challenged me to complicate my definition of faith to include social justice and equity.  So, as I explore these muddied waters, I am thrilled to be working at an institution that supports my faith as well as helps me continue my overall development as a woman for others.

While obtaining my graduate degree, leadership  became an interest obsession of mine.  I believe there are as many definitions of leadership as there are people providing them.  My definition centers around the Social Change Model and involves positive change for the common good.  Leadership is everywhere.  And we are all responsible for practicing it in all elements of our lives.

Service is an area of my life that has always been present.  My parents raised me to always help others and to practice good citizenship.  However, an important part of this journey was learning the difference between philanthropy, direct service, and indirect service.  It was also important for me to learn the role my privileges played in my service.  But the core of who I am as a servant leader remains true:  if one life has breathed easier because I have lived, then I have succeeded (paraphrased from a quote attributed to Ralph Waldo Emerson).

 On a lighter note, I also believe that you should ALWAYS dance like no one's watching.