UNM-LA Registrar and Enrollment Associate Lori Tepley. Courtesy/UNM-LA

UNM-LA Student Success Manager Coco Rae. Courtesy.UNM-LA

UNM-LA News:

There are several things that are true about working in higher education – no two days are ever the same, every day is an opportunity to make a difference, and some days are transformational.  

At The University of New Mexico – Los Alamos (UNM-LA), the staff on the Student Services team know that every interaction has the potential to change someone’s day or even their life. Working in Student Services provides an opportunity to assist students during important and critical times in their lives.

Some students are starting a pathway to a career while others are retraining or building credentials to increase their earning potential. Every student comes with a different set of goals. Supporting them requires an individual approach which means that the professionals on the Student Services team rarely have a boring day at the office.  

In her new role as Student Success Manager, Coco Rae oversees academic and career advising as well as financial aid. Before being promoted to Student Success Manager, Rae’s title was Senior Student Success Specialist. Student Success Specialists at UNM-LA provide much more than traditional academic advising. They help students learn to navigate the higher education culture and connect students to resources that help break down barriers to success as well as prepare students for the next steps in their academic and personal goals.

To add an important component to her work, Rae participated in a training program to become credentialed as a Global Career Development Facilitator (GCDF). With GCDF certification, she engages students with career exploration and employability skills alongside holistic and individualized academic advising. This helps students identify and clarify their pathway which makes them more passionate students.

“The best part of advising,” Rae said, “is working with students every day, getting to know them and their goals, supporting them when they face challenges, and cheering them on when they succeed. Education changes lives, and I love being part of that.”

Other members of the Student Services team include the Registrar and Enrollment Associate. Some of the Registrar’s duties include helping students with course registration, ensuring that students meet graduation requirements, planning commencement ceremonies, and maintaining the academic records of the students and the institution.

Lori Tepley was recently promoted to fill this role. In her previous position as Senior Student Enrollment Associate, she was the first person most students had contact with when applying for admission or when calling campus to ask questions about how to enroll. The Registrar and Enrollment Associate team support students from their first admission to UNM-Los Alamos through their graduation and next step on their academic and career path. 

About her work in enrollment services, Tepley said, “Working as the Senior Student Enrollment Associate has been a rewarding experience. I love being able to be a part of a student’s academic journey. I enjoy helping students through the application process and making the introduction to college easy and friendly. It feels good to know that I am playing a role in helping people achieve their potential.”

The recent promotions of staff at UNM-LA have opened two positions on the Student Services team including a Senior Student Success Specialist and a Senior Student Enrollment Associate. Kathryn Vigil, Director of Student Services, is looking for the right people to fill these vacancies.

“We are a small team, and we have to work collaboratively and effectively to support each other and our students,” Vigil said. “We are fortunate that the nature of our work at UNM-LA places us in the company of colleagues who are student focused and use their strengths to invest in others.”

About the student affairs field and the UNM-Los Alamos team, Vigil adds, “There is always something new and exciting going on. From the event planning to the student mentoring, some aspect of every day is rewarding and truly fun!”  

More information about the two vacancies in the Student Services department, as well as other openings on campus, can be found on the UNM-Los Alamos website.

UNM-Los Alamos is an innovative, rigorous, and affordable comprehensive branch community college that provides foundations for transfer, leading-edge career programs, and lifelong learning opportunities. More information about UNM-Los Alamos is available at losalamos.unm.edu