Have you ever considered applying for an assistantship to help you in affording to go to graduate school? In addition to gaining skills, working an assistantship can help cover some or even all of your tuition depending on the department. NAU has a lot to offer graduate students who decide to study here. Our very own Career Development team member, Allyson Laesch, is working as a Graduate Assistant for the next two school years and we’re so lucky to have her!
To find out more about Allyson’s experience keep reading:
How did you decide NAU was the perfect Graduate School for you?
I am originally from Wisconsin, and I had never been to Arizona before applying to go to school here. I found out about the school by searching different schools that had the program I wanted to go into, which is school of psychology. I knew I wanted to go out west because I wanted to try something different. I had lived in the Midwest all my life, and I wanted to experience something new. I also knew I loved mountains, and I wanted to go somewhere with a beautiful view of mountains and the opportunity to explore/hike! That is how I came to find NAU, and I thought it seemed like a great place to be.
How did you apply for NAU’s Graduate Assistant program?
I found the position here: https://nau.edu/gradcol/financing/grad-assistantships/. They have a section for open positions. I applied online by submitting my cover letter and resume and was sure to tailor my experiences toward the positions I applied for. I applied in the early spring, a year before I would be attending the university. I applied to a variety of different positions, and I ended up getting the Graduate Assistant position at NAU Career Development.
What did you find interesting about NAU Career Development’s Graduate Assistant position?
It was a position that involved helping students, and I really wanted that experience. I had never worked with university students before, so it offered me that possibility. Also, it gives me the opportunity to supervise the student workers that work in our office. I had never had a position that required me to be a supervisor, so it was a new thing for me. I am gaining a lot of experience working with older students, as my previous experiences have focused more on working with younger students in grade school.
What is your favorite part about being a Graduate Assistant?
So far, I have had the opportunity to translate documents into Spanish, hire new student workers, work on design/layout projects, and gain important teamwork skills through working in an office with people who carry many different leadership styles. I love the experience so far! Though it isn’t directly related to psychology, it is giving me a lot of skills that will be applicable to any workplace environment.
If you’re at all interested in applying for NAU’s Graduate Assistant program click here. Schedule an appointment with us today via Handshake to refine your resume and cover letter with a Career Development team member!