ASPSA Intern Alumni Series – Amber Rae Childers ’10

Alumni Profile – Amber Rae Childers (‘10)

Previous to her internship at NC State, Amber Rae had a wide variety of experiences in college athletics at Carroll College, University of Washington, and Auburn University at Montgomery. The internship at ASPSA was her first full year working in academics. After the conclusion of the internship, she was hired at Utah State University in 2010 and has been there ever since. As an academic/life skills coordinator at Utah State, Amber Rae is the sport counselor for women’s soccer, women’s volleyball and men’s and women’s track. In addition to her responsibilities as a sport counselor, she also coordinates the Life Skills program for student-athletes.

What was one valuable thing you learned at this internship that you brought to your next institution?

Things are really fast-paced during the internship. You learn to multi-task and shift gears quickly. This was very helpful in preparing me for my full-time position at Utah State, where I balance advising along with overseeing the life skills program.

What advice would you give to future interns?

1. When you boil it down, academic advising is a relationship business. You need to make sure you spend time building the relationships with people whether they be students, coaches, coworkers, etc. You will be able to accomplish more and better serve your students if you build these relationships.

2. Don’t be afraid to ask for help along the way.

3. Work hard, don’t slack, and maximize your experience. You only have one year, make sure you make the most of this opportunity!

4. Network! You can learn things from everyone. Be intentional about networking with other professionals and take away what you can to better yourself. As you progress in your career, continue to nurture those relationships.

What are some of the biggest lessons you’ve learned since leaving NC State?

1. “Do your best to be proactive, not reactive.”

2. “Timeliness is next godliness” Whether it be with deadlines, meetings, or responses, timeliness is a huge part of our credibility in this profession.

3. “Honesty is the best policy.” Building relationships is a huge aspect of our jobs and being honest can help build those relationships.

Can you talk about your job search post internship?

When I was applying for positions I was open to going anywhere in the country. I figured out I wanted a position that had additional responsibilities in conjunction with academic advising, such as running a tutor or mentor program, being a sport counselor, working with life skills, etc. I looked at all open positions and if they didn’t have that, I didn’t apply. I was intentional about what I applied for and made sure I thought it was a good fit for me.

Advice for the job search?

N4A is a great networking opportunity. Although it can be expensive, think about it as an investment in your future and career. You get an opportunity to interact with other professionals in all different parts of the country, which is invaluable.

Author Note:

Since the publication of this article, Amber has been named an N4A region director:

https://nacda.com/news/2019/3/4/nfoura-n4a-announces-three-new-region-directors.aspx