Wake United: Live United Amy Bull
Before joining Wake Forest as assistant director, employer experience, Amy Bull gained first-hand knowledge of the important work that the United Way of Forsyth County does each day as a Loaned Executive to the United Way’s Capital Campaign in 2012. Working with United Way staff and representatives of partner agencies including the Bethesda Women’s Shelter, the Goodwill Prosperity Center, and Triad Community Kitchen, among others, Bull learned both the passion that local employers have for the United Way and the commitment of the agencies “to provide needed services to our community.”
Now that she is at Wake Forest in the Officer of Personal and Career Development, Bull sees many connections between the work of the United Way and the work of students, faculty, and staff. Our students, she says, “have had the support and resources to have a great education at this university. This opens the doors to tremendous opportunities for them in the workforce and to contribute to the betterment of the community where they live.”
Similarly, the United Way of Forsyth County and its partner agencies are committed to positively impact the lives of students across our community by increasing the high school graduation to 90 percent, increasing at-grade-level reading and math outcomes by the end of third and eighth grades, and focusing on soft skill development for post-secondary opportunities. And, Bull notes, through the University’s Pro Humanitate spirit, “I see the same commitment by WFU to serving our community as the United Way fosters with their work and agency partnerships.”
The United Way of Forsyth County “is not stagnant. They look for ways to continually improve or adjust their programs and objectives as the needs of our community change.” And, perhaps most importantly, “We have all been touched by the services of the United Way. It may be through the Boy and Girl Scouts Programs, a friend or family member who needs the support of Cancer Services, an elderly neighbor or parent who is aided by Senior Services, or a co-worker who is in a domestic abuse situation and finds support from Family Services – the ways we are touched are endless. A contribution, no matter what the amount, makes a difference in your life and the lives of others. It allows the Pro Humanitate spirit of Wake Forest University to extend into the community where we live.”
Categories: Staff News
Allison McWilliams: Ask powerful questions
Allison McWilliams, director of mentoring and alumni personal and career development in the Office of Personal and Career Development, will write occasional articles in 2015-2016 for Inside WFU. This is her fourth for the academic year. In each, she shares observations and suggestions with faculty and staff drawn from her professional experience with students.
We all know the value of powerful questions in the classroom. A well-placed question makes us think, pushes us to make connections between events, challenges our assumptions, and generally helps us to learn. In much the same way, powerful questions help us to learn in mentoring relationships. A well-placed question causes us to reflect upon what has happened, to make connections, and to effectively assess how we can use this new knowledge in the future. This is, I believe, the gift of an effective mentoring relationship: it gives us the space and the tools that we need to be mindful and present in our own lives.
Effective mentors spend more time asking questions than they do answering them. A mentor’s role is not to be the information superhighway; we already have effective tools for that. A mentor’s role is to challenge assumptions, to offer objective feedback, and to push for clarity and accountability. She does so by making use of powerful questions. Powerful questions are open-ended, causing the mentee to reflect on the actions he is taking, the outcomes, and the next steps. Some examples of powerful questions include:
Categories: Guest Post
2015-16 Wake Forest Fellows named
By Madeline Stone, News and Communications Intern
Ten seniors will remain at Wake Forest following graduation as Wake Forest Fellows, working in the President’s Office, Information Systems, University Advancement and in other offices around campus.
Since 2008, the Wake Forest Fellows program has provided exceptional graduates with a chance to work in higher education administration for a year. Each fellow will serve as a full-time University employee for a year. In addition to working with top administrators in a particular department, the fellows will participate in leadership activities and interact with faculty, staff and students to learn about the inner workings of higher education.
“I am excited about welcoming aboard this class of new Fellows,” said Marybeth Wallace, special assistant to the President. “They are a tremendously talented group and they’ve been involved in every aspect of the life of Wake Forest and making it a better place. My hope for them is that they continue to learn all they can as Fellows and that they grow personally and professionally.”
The Wake Forest Fellows for 2015-16 are:
Categories: University Announcement
