15 years ago on June 1st, I walked into the Richmond airport in Virginia. In my backpack and suitcase was a myriad of things I just didn’t need! But what did I know? Looking back – I arrived in Houston Texas to be a Systems Consultant for SunGuard Higher Education, which has since evolved into Ellucian. I didn’t really know what I was walking into, but I did it anyway. Now I can articulate what I do as a Principal Consultant:
- Observe
- Inform
- Instruct
I observe for contextual clues, facts and events from our customers and authorized actors. I then inform interested parties using discovered context. Lastly, if consent is provided from the customer and consensus to move forward is obtained, I provide consultative instruction which often includes industry and peer “Best Practices” in the format of recommendations. This may lead to formal or informal Knowledge Transfer sessions, configurations coaching and best-fit solutions engineering, if required.
Somewhere along the line I grew into a trusted advisor and influencer in the Ellucian Banner ERP for Student, Accounts Receivable, General modules and so much more. Along this journey, I have interacted with many that have entertained my credibility, my skills, my insecurities, my weakness and witnessed many failures and plenty of successes. What an adventure it has been! I imagine there are plenty of years to come – I hope :/
Lately, I have been fatigued with iterative and needful change – navigating through ambiguity and more. I have so many memories along the way, but one stand out is attending the, what is now known, as Ellucian eLive in San Diego. A colleague of mine had changed business lines and responsibilities. I was asked to substitute and present a presentation in their behalf with another colleague. In July, it will be his 15th year, too. In San Diego, the content I presented was under appreciated by many US Higher Ed institutions, but our friends in the UK hoarded me – IMMEDIATELY after the presentation – and asked for more context, as GDPR, data management, and data retention, destruction was du jour.
This experience sparked a realization of appreciation – it reminded me of the sliding scale of relativity and the phenomenon I know understand as “Prevalence-induced concept change”. More San Diego excitement included a scenario where another customer cornered me in front of leadership, at the time, and offered me a position at their institution! How I navigated that whole scenario with poise and professionalism is well beyond me. I was lastly able to connect with a colleague that I had worked with in Strasbourg, France. I learned in those moments just how much I had grown and become an owner of my career journey, my autonomy, and how I did not lose sight of family first! I have ignored, and let some opportunities pass by, but I have rarely missed out on being grateful and appreciating the connections I have with the many great humans in the Educational Technology sectors I have interacted with through the years.
So, when I look at my tattered backpack and my suitcases that have logged more than a million air miles through the years. What a journey! I am looking forward with excitement of next steps and the many more interactions and failures and successes yet to be encountered. It is with gratitude and appreciation that I begin my 15th year! Here’s to one step and one minute and one meeting and one success and/or failure at a time – adapting along the way! Cheers!
Here’s to many more adventures at Ellucian!
