Jacob Malstrom

Background

About Jacob Malstrom

Graduating with a university degree is no walk in the park. Students face many hurdles as they simultaneously confront burgeoning adulthood, newfound independence, and increased responsibility. I work in student services to not only connect students with vital resources but also empathize with their diverse experiences navigating a new academic journey. I was fortunate to have good mentors as a student. The relationships that I built opened doors to opportunities that shaped the course of my professional life. As an international student mentor, I honed my intercultural communication skills and learned that we should not treat others how we want to be treated; rather, we should treat others how they want to be treated. As a front office assistant, I gained an immense appreciation for first-point-of-contact positions. I developed the ability to handle numerous tasks simultaneously, while managing deadlines and student intake. As a graduate teaching assistant, I discovered that assigning numerical value to a student’s worth is one of the hardest things a teacher will ever do. Student life is a complex intersection of independence, relationships, academics, recreation, and much more. I aim to empathize with my students by holistically understanding the various aspects of life that affect their ability to move through the university system. During my Fulbright grant in Mexico, I collaborated with many university administrators and witnessed how their work was vital to the operational health of the university. Universities in the United States are not different in that regard. Now, I look forward to contributing to a field that fosters student success, embraces difference, and values empathy.