Name: Meredith Young
Title: Operations Manager
Department: Norris University Center
Where are you from? Wheaton, IL
What brought you to Student Affairs? I worked in consulting focused on healthcare and higher education, and liked the subject matter but really didn’t enjoy the work and felt too far away from the areas where we were supposedly making an impact. Plus, my old boss at Norris when I was in undergrad here had once told me to look into Student Affairs. It took a while to come back to, but I finally figured it out, and really lucked out to have my old boss’ position open up when I was planning to move back to Chicago after grad school!
How many years have you worked in Student Affairs at Northwestern? 1
What’s your favorite part about working in Student Affairs? No two days are the same. I never know what to expect, but I enjoy that challenge every day.
What recommendation(s) do you have for someone new to Student Affairs? Definitely talk to students about their experiences. Also get to know staff from other areas to see how the campus has changed over time and to better understand how your role fits into the bigger picture.
Who or what has had the greatest influence on your career? Turns out, it was working at Norris as an undergrad!
What can’t you live without? A good breakfast. I can’t do anything before breakfast.
How do you like to spend your free time? I spend a lot of time cooking and baking, and try to balance that out with hot yoga as much as possible.
What’s your favorite spot on campus? I like the views from the Lake Room in Norris best!
Each week a different staff member in the division of Student Affairs will be featured. Staff can opt in to be featured, by filling out the Staff Spotlight Submission form. Student Affairs Marketing staff reach out to staff from across the division asking for participation. The spotlights will be featured in the Student Affairs Snapshot e-newsletter.