MASTER’S SPOTLIGHT – KENCIA MELE
Kencia Mele is a first semester Master’s student studying Higher Education and Student Affairs at the University. Kencia received her undergraduate degree in Psychology from the University of Central Florida in 2012 and has worked in student services in the higher education sector since 2010. Currently, Kencia is a Financial Aid Counselor and has been a member of the University’s Financial Aid team since December 2014. Kencia’s advice for current Master’s students is to stick with the work. “After long nights of studying, and research, there’s graduation and possible promotion!”
In speaking about her goals while in the program, Kencia shares, “I hope to graduate with a great GPA and get involved in professional organizations to expand my experiences and network with other personnel in NJ. Being involved in professional organizations is a practice I have seen my supervisor take part in, as well as other administrators in the field.” Kencia believes in the power of using the professionals around her as tools to help her get involved and gain a role in leadership. “I love listening to the journeys of others, how they ultimately made it through, and how much they love what they are currently doing.”
One of Kencia’s interests is identifying trends in higher education. “Right now, I’m working on my paper for my Introduction to Higher Education class. In my research, I’m looking at the importance of campus safety. There are a lot of factors that keep students successful, and safety is one of them— as is family and financial aid. Something as simple as campus safety can affect faculty, staff, jobs, and the institution itself!” she says. Kencia also believes higher educational professionals should speak to middle and high school students and families about financial aid. “Build a bridge between K12 and higher education now so that the expectations of paying for college are being talked about,”she says. This translates to her work as a Financial Aid Counselor, as she works with families. She is seeing a different trend now though; “Married couples are coming in with their parents to talk about financial aid. This shows they are looking to be informed and keep their parents in the loop as well.”