Earlier this semester, Jennifer Melton was promoted to the Chair of Counseling and Student Conduct position. Before her new position, Melton has been an academic counselor since 2014 and before that was the director of the international studies program (now titled coordinator) from 2009-2014.
She explained, “I will never be able to express enough gratitude to Lake Land College for the change they took on me when I was a brand new professional in 2009. I think the totality of all my experiences at the college have led me to this current role- no one specific thing.”
She stated, “The team in Counseling Services handles a lot! We coordinate a lot of large-scale initiatives on campus! I see it as my job to ensure that the team has the resources to continue improving and adjusting those initiatives to fit our new strategic direction.”
“My role is to keep the department moving forward, but I in no way do it alone. It is the strength of the team as a whole that does that challenging work.”
She clarified, “It is strange to feel like I am someone who has been around long enough to make these kinds of observations, but it has been over 15 years! I have certainly seen some shifts in trends; in terms of the type of student we see and what programs are popular.”
“However, in general, my experience today feels like my experience when I first started. Lake Land is a great, caring, fun job full of caring and concerned staff and faculty. The challenges we face might have shifted, but the desire to face them head on has not changed one bit.”
She eluded, “I have a bachelor’s degree in French and international studies from The Ohio State University. I think I would work for the government or become a translator. However, I got very into working with college students while at Ohio State, both as a Resident Assistant (RA) and later as a front desk manager. I decided to go to graduate school for a master’s in college student affairs, which is what lead me to Eastern Illinois University.”
“Then, in 2023, I earned my doctorate in Educational Leadership from Maryville University. I pursued that terminal degree because I knew I wanted to make a career out of my experiences in higher education, and I wanted to be ready for whatever leadership role came my way.”
Welcome Jennifer to your new position and thank you for your dedication to Lake Land College.
