Kim Morter
University of Texas
"Do an internship. Hands-down the best way to learn."
Career Roadmap
Kim's work combines: Education, Non-Profit Organizations, and Communicating / Sharing Stories
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Here's the path I took:
High School
Battle Mountain High School
Bachelor's Degree
Journalism
University of Arizona
Graduate Degree
Higher Education/Higher Education Administration
Northwestern University
Certification
Journalism Internship
American University
Here's the path I recommend for someone who wants to be a Special Projects Coordinator:
Bachelor's Degree: Journalism
Graduate Degree: Higher Education/Higher Education Administration
Certification: Journalism Internship
Learn more about different paths to this career
Life & Career Milestones
I've taken a lot of twists and turns
1.
Started U of Arizona as an Ecology/Evolutionary Biology major. Got intimidated by Calculus II and Organic Chemistry.
2.
Changed major to Economics. Dropped first Econ class before mid-term.
3.
Unofficially changed major to International Relations and considered transferring to another university. Changed major (officially) to Journalism at end of sophomore year.
4.
Got REALLY involved in school activities -- honor society, Student Union Activities Board, student ambassador, Orientation. THESE ARE MY BEST EXPERIENCES!
5.
Did a semester in Washington, DC, at ABCNews as an intern. HATED it. Graduated in December, went to work, and then went to Europe. "Found myself" and realized I wanted to work on a campus.
6.
Researched Higher Education Admin programs and chose Northwestern. Moved to Chicago knowing one person, but knew it was right.
7.
Worked in Higher Ed for 20 years, left it temporarily to train adults, and am now back at it!
8.
I'm also pursuing a real estate license in my "free time," so there's that...
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Parents:
It doesn't matter what major you choose -- just graduate already!
How I responded:
Nearly all majors -- with VERY few exceptions -- teach students fundamental skills. These include, writing, researching, presenting, working with others, asking good questions, and others that can be applied to almost any career field.
Experiences and challenges that shaped me
I was luck enough to have family support for my bachelor's degree, but my graduate degree was on my own dime. I worked HARD to save money through work-study and grants, and then worked REALLY HARD to pay off my student loans.