Mo McKenna
Director of Partnership Solutions
Strada Education Network & InsideTrack
“I used to think that your passion and your job had to be 100% aligned. I now see that pursuing my passion as a hobby can be a lot more enjoyable.”
Milestones
My road in life has taken me all over.
Didn't go straight through in college - I dropped out after 2 years and traveled and worked before coming back to finish.
I wasn't sure what I wanted to study in college and accrued all sorts of credits that weren't applicable to my degree. It was fun, but expensive.
I pursued my education in agriculture, but realistically if I wanted to farm, I shouldn't have accrued student loan debt.
For a decade, I worked a lot of multiple jobs at a time - typically short-term, seasonal, and temp jobs. It has made me a very resilient employee, but it wasn't great for my retirement.
I fell into the field of education 10 years ago and have been able to advance as a result of a lot of investment in my professional development from that company.
I used to think that your passion and your job had to be 100% aligned. I now see that pursuing my passion as a hobby can be a lot more enjoyable.
Keep following my journey
Education
High School
Sparta Senior High School
Sparta Senior High School
Bachelor
Sustainable Agriculture / Environmental Science
Warren Wilson College
Sustainable Agriculture / Environmental Science
Warren Wilson College
Graduate
Rural Sociology / Latin American Studies
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Rural Sociology / Latin American Studies
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Career
Director of Partnership Solutions
I help our affiliates collaborate.
Career Roadmap
My work combines:
My work combines:
Non-Profit Organizations
Education
Helping People
Day to Day
I focus on listening to the challenges that institutions, employers, and regions are facing and then connecting those with solutions we have within the affiliate network. I work closely with multiple affiliates to help them stack products and services in order to solve complex problems. Also, I help the affiliate network and stakeholders from Strada understand the solutions available within our network.
Advice for Getting Started
Here's the first step for college students
I started out as a coach supporting students directly. Then I moved into supporting staff, then administrators and university leaders. This path has been phenomenal for me because I started out by listening to students, aka end users. Don't underestimate the value of an entry-level role that connects you with the people using the service or product - it will help you make systems, policies, and products that better support those users.
Recommended Education
My career is not related to what I studied. I'd recommend this path instead:
Hurdles
The Noise I Shed
From Family:
"Why do you want to go away to college? What's the value of it?"
Challenges I Overcame
Financial
