Name: Ashley Dorsey
Majors Advised: Political Science, International Politics, and Social Data Analytics
Hometown: Searcy, AR
Educational Background:Bachelor of Arts in English with a concentration in Secondary Education from Lyon College in Batesville, AR
Master of Arts in College Student Development and Administration from Shepherd University in Shepherdstown, WV
I started my work in education at the K12 level by teaching high school English in rural Arkansas. While I loved teaching, Being in k12, I learned very quickly about the inequities that exist in our school systems, and I discovered I was very passionate about providing support for students who may have been under-prepared for college. Still, I very much missed the energy of being on a college campus, so I moved to the East Coast to pursue my master’s degree. My first graduate assistantship was with the Advising Assistance Center at Shepherd, and I knew that this was the perfect role for me–I could challenge students to make the most of their educations, while simultaneously supporting those who were struggling to navigate the higher education environment.
Something most students don’t know about you: One of my hobbies is studying and reading Tarot cards. Contrary to representations in popular media, Tarot does not predict the future. Instead, it is a tool to explore how the different parts of ourselves (creativity, relationships, intellect, and professional goals) all interact.
If you could do college over again: I would have studied abroad more! I traveled to the UK with an embedded program over a summer, but I wish I had pushed myself to take a full semester of courses at a university abroad. I love chatting with my students about their awesome, transformative abroad experiences, but deep inside I’m so jealous, because I want to go too!!!
What you like most about your job: I love hearing about when students find passions that really incorporate their values into their educational career goals. College is the place where so many of our students will figure out how they will (in big or small ways), change the world.