Staff Spotlight: Andrea Young
Andrea Young is the associate director of the Jenkins Master of Accounting Program and has been with the Poole College of Management since March 2006. The Connecticut native received a bachelor of arts in political science from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill in 1997 and a master of education in higher education administration from Boston University in 2004.
As the associate director of the Jenkins MAC Program, Young is responsible for all of the marketing and communications for the program that includes the website, social media, email content development, promotional materials and communication with students and alumni. She is also the main contact for our CPA review materials and planning, MAC curriculum assessment and graduate assistant assignments.
Work at Poole College
Why did you decide to join Poole College?
My first position was with both the ERM Initiative and the Master of Accounting Program. At that time, both programs were young and had great potential for growth. I realized how many different parts of each I could put my hands on and really have an impact on where we were headed in the future. After my first interview, I also knew it would be a great fit with the people in the department.
What have you enjoyed most about your experience at Poole College?
I know you hear it all of the time, but what I have enjoyed most about Poole College is the people. I work in a small team of three plus our director. We are able to share our ideas and thoughts easily and everyone is always open to making changes to the program if needed. I have built great friendships through the years and definitely always feel like I have the support I need to succeed.
What do you see as the greatest strengths of Poole College?
I think one of Poole’s greatest strengths is the personal touch you feel throughout the college. Faculty and staff are always available to students and go out of their way to connect with students and each other. You don’t find that at every school and I think our students recognize that. It definitely is a small college feel with all of the benefits of a large university.
What advice would you give a staff member who has recently joined Poole College?
I would say don’t be afraid to jump right into your role and share your insights and ideas. Also, get to know the people around you and don’t worry about asking too many questions. We have all been there before and I think everyone wants to make new staff feel at home!
Professional Accomplishments
What project that you completed at Poole you are most proud of?
A big project that I completed was our website redesign two years ago. I worked on this for most of the summer and it involved a lot of communication with different individuals and groups including my teammates and University Communications. It was more than just changing the wording of our site but we also had to update videos, photos, etc. I think the end product looked great and we continue to get positive feedback from our students about it.
What do you believe is your most interesting accomplishment as a staff member?
During my 13 years at Poole, I have seen a lot of teammates come and go. This has meant filling in and taking on other positions while still doing my own job. I think I have taken over the other two roles on my team more than once and in the end, it has been a great experience. I can now truthfully really say I know how our program operates!
Life Outside of Poole
When you are not at Poole College, what do you enjoy doing for fun?
I spend most of my time outside of work with my family and driving my kids around to all of their activities. My son Jack is 11 and my daughter Emily is 8 (when I started at Poole I was a newlywed!!). Soccer and gymnastics keep us quite busy. Other than that, you can find me going for runs early in the a.m., reading, boating on the lake, baking and hanging out with family and friends.
What do you consider as your greatest accomplishment outside of work?
Definitely my kids! They make me very proud to be their mom.
