Employment and education:
Jaimie is the director of academic advising at MacMurray College in Jacksonville. After she received her Associate in Arts from LLCC, Jaimie went on to receive her Bachelor of Arts from Illinois College and her Master of Science from Kansas State University.
How has Lincoln Land Community College impacted your life?
By obtaining my AA from LLCC, I opened the door to advanced opportunities not otherwise available to undergraduate students. Upon completion of my AA, I was promoted to program coordinate at my then job at Hobby Horse House of Jacksonville. This opportunity gave me the experience that was needed to get my foot in the door in my current career of not only advising college students, but overseeing advising as a whole on campus.
What have been some obstacles you have had to overcome in pursuit of your educational and/or career goals?
The largest obstacle was feelings of inferiority, having gone to a small high school with limited opportunities. I had always done well in school, so when I got one C in each of my first undergraduate semesters, I began to feel like I didn’t belong. I was too “strong” to employ much interdependence at first, but when I began reaching out for help from professors and other like-minded individuals, I was able to address the reasons for my inferior state of mind. So when I stepped out to pursue my AA at LLCC, I was able to really find my footing.
What is your greatest accomplishment(s)?
I’ve completed my M.S., planned for and secured my dream job, and have even presented at a state advising conference. But after years of being around friends in college, and working with college students, I see how easy it is to get off track and not return or salvage one’s academic career in a timely manner. So my greatest accomplishment is that I finished what I set out to do — getting a bachelor's degree. And I did it in four years! I never once considered not finishing college, even after transferring away from my comfy campus life at Illinois College to back on track at LLCC. I faced so many threats, from money stresses, to personal issues and social priorities. I’ve seen students/peers veer off track for any number of reasons, whether avoidable or unavoidable. If therefore gives me the most pride to know that my values and goals never faltered and that I achieved what I set out to do.
Was there a professor, advisor, staff member or fellow student who made an impression on you or helped you when you were here at LLCC?
Ellen Star’s COM 112 class was one of the most transformative of my college career. She challenged us without exception, always giving us all the tools and information to fully grasp the material, and beyond. I never in my life imagined how much context lines between the lines in short stories, but after a semester of wringing them dry, I was a better communicator, critical thinker and student. When I came out with one of the best grades in this class, I was completely reaffirmed in my sense of belonging in higher education.
Who or what has served as a source of inspiration for you?
My mother is probably the number one source of inspiration, because she instilled in me not only a need to succeed, but to thrive. Maybe some would have called it tough love, but mom raised me to feel guilty for getting Bs, only because she know that I was more than capable of getting all As. So you can imagine how disappointed I felt when I got my first ever Cs after coming to college!
What advice do you have for current or future LLCC students?
Attend every class! Especially now that I’m repaying my loans, I think about all the money I threw out the window with each class that I skipped. Not to mention, skipping class always doubled the work I had to do to catch up, so that was wasted time, too!
What did you like about LLCC or what is your favorite LLCC memory?
When I was on the Vice President’s list in my final semester at LLCC, my family came up and attended the ceremony with me. This was a great experience, especially after a few semesters of “finding myself.”