Career Path Of A Scholar Support Analyst At San Diego State University
Katia's career journey began early, with almost a decade at "Hotdog on a Stick," funding their education while participating in UCLA's "spell project," assisting faculty with English language needs. Following roles aiding refugees in San Diego and as a research project administrator at San Diego State University culminated in Katia's current position as a Scholar Support Analyst, ensuring the university's research functions effectively.
Career Development, Community Engagement, Nonprofit Experience, Higher Education, Research Administration
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Katia Garcia
Scholar Support Analyst
San Diego State University
UCLA
N/a
Philosophy
Education
Research and Development (R&D)
Pell Grant Recipient, Worked 20+ Hours in School, Transfer Student, First Generation College Student
Video Highlights
1. Katia's early work experience at Hotdog on a Stick demonstrates the value of early work experience, even in seemingly unrelated fields, in funding education and developing work ethic.
2. Her involvement in the Spell Project at UCLA and subsequent work with refugees highlight the importance of transferable skills like navigating systems and providing support to diverse populations.
3. Katia's career progression from nonprofit work to research administration and finally to a Scholar Support Analyst role at SDSU showcases a clear path of building upon experience and expertise in community support and research.
Transcript
Could you walk me through your career path, starting with your experiences in college? Please include any internships or jobs you had before your current role.
I started working at 15 and a half at Hotdog on a Stick, which is a typical mall job in the food industry. I worked there throughout high school and community college, and it helped fund my university fees.
I was part of their college program and worked there for just under 10 years. In college, I also participated in the Spell project. This project helped faculty and staff members learn English and navigate UCLA, including their emails and other basic English courses and translation needs.
After UCLA, I transitioned to the nonprofit sector, working with refugees. San Diego is a major hub for refugees, so I assisted them with assimilating into the city. This included helping them navigate the bus system, find jobs, and enroll their children in school.
Following that, I moved to San Diego State University as an administrator for research projects. These projects were focused on the San Diego community, specifically addressing health disparities. I worked with refugees through a different organization in this role.
Recently, I was promoted to an analyst at San Diego State. My role now is to ensure that the university functions effectively as a mechanism for the research conducted here. That's essentially my career path.