Meet Fort Riley Site Coordinator
January 10, 2020 2:28pm
What is your home state?
Iowa
What degree did you earn and from where?
I earned my A.A. degree from Ellsworth Community College in Iowa and then went on to finish my B.S. in Sociology and Environmental Studies from Iowa State University of Science and Technology.
What made you decide to pursue a career in college admissions?
Being in the right place at the right time earned me my first job in admissions and with it came the chance to work with veterans’ educational benefits! I fell in love with assisting veterans in navigating their GI Bill® and other forms of military aid.
What makes you passionate about assisting military learners?
Assisting military learners has become a passion of mine simply because I love helping these learners utilize the educational financial benefits available to them.
What do you tell military learners who are on the fence about whether to pursue a college degree?
Please take advantage of the awesome benefits available to you through military Tuition Assistance and get your degree! The sooner you start the sooner you will finish!
How does being a military spouse help you be a better admissions counselor?
Being a military spouse has given me a priceless insight on what a military member goes through day in and day out while earning their degree. It has given me the chance to see how big of a step it can be to complete a bachelor’s degree. Students who are serving actively have so much more going on in terms of pressure and I praise their efforts to the fullest. Also, being a military spouse has given me opportunity to understand some military vernacular, which allows for better communication between me and my prospective students.
What do you find most rewarding about working for Southwestern College?
We take great pride in providing the most relevant and current offerings for each of our programs which will position our graduates to be leaders and persons of influence in their respective fields. I also love our team here at Southwestern College. I have been working remotely as the site coordinator for Fort Riley, KS and have been so blessed with a great team I can always depend on!
Are you interested in learning more about degree programs at Southwestern College? Contact Ashley today at ashley.ortega@sckans.edu or call 785.784.9930.