{"id":21645,"date":"2025-05-30T22:36:39","date_gmt":"2025-05-30T22:36:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/happyinthehills.com\/zentriathlete\/?p=21645"},"modified":"2026-04-12T20:44:58","modified_gmt":"2026-04-12T20:44:58","slug":"15-years-on-june-1-2025-reflections","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/happyinthehills.com\/zentriathlete\/2025\/05\/30\/15-years-on-june-1-2025-reflections\/","title":{"rendered":"15 Years on June 1, 2025 &#8211; Reflections"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"nfd-container nfd-text-md nfd-wb-text__text-7 wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<div class=\"nfd-text-md wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\"><div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"930\" height=\"478\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/happyinthehills.com\/zentriathlete\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Screenshot-2025-05-07-at-12.36.10\u202fAM.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-21447\" srcset=\"https:\/\/happyinthehills.com\/zentriathlete\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Screenshot-2025-05-07-at-12.36.10\u202fAM.png 930w, https:\/\/happyinthehills.com\/zentriathlete\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Screenshot-2025-05-07-at-12.36.10\u202fAM-550x283.png 550w, https:\/\/happyinthehills.com\/zentriathlete\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Screenshot-2025-05-07-at-12.36.10\u202fAM-820x421.png 820w, https:\/\/happyinthehills.com\/zentriathlete\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Screenshot-2025-05-07-at-12.36.10\u202fAM-300x154.png 300w, https:\/\/happyinthehills.com\/zentriathlete\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Screenshot-2025-05-07-at-12.36.10\u202fAM-768x395.png 768w, https:\/\/happyinthehills.com\/zentriathlete\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Screenshot-2025-05-07-at-12.36.10\u202fAM-600x308.png 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 930px) 100vw, 930px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"nfd-text-md wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<div class=\"nfd-max-w-prose wp-block-group is-vertical is-content-justification-left is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-c0ca7d81 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Reflecting on 15 Years of Growth and Consulting<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Fifteen years ago, on June 1st, I walked into Richmond International Airport in Virginia with a suitcase and backpack full of things I thought I needed\u2014but didn\u2019t. What I lacked in packing skills, I made up for in curiosity and courage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">I was headed to Houston, Texas, to begin a new chapter as a Systems Consultant for SunGard Higher Education (SGHE) \u2014now known as <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ellucian.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Ellucian<\/a>. At the time, I had no idea what I was stepping into. But I took the leap anyway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Fast forward to today, and I can confidently describe what I do as a Principal Consultant. My role has evolved, but the heart of it remains the same: helping institutions thrive through thoughtful, informed guidance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Here\u2019s how I approach my work:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"\"><strong>Observe<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 I gather contextual clues, facts, and insights from our customers and stakeholders.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\"><strong>Inform<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 I share relevant findings with the right people, ensuring everyone has the context they need.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\"><strong>Instruct<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 With customer consent and alignment, I offer consultative guidance\u2014often grounded in industry best practices. This can take the form of recommendations, knowledge transfer sessions, configuration coaching, or tailored solution engineering.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">It\u2019s been a journey of learning, adapting, and growing alongside the institutions we serve. And I\u2019m just getting started.to move forward is obtained, I provide consultative instruction which often includes industry and peer \u201cBest Practices\u201d in the format of recommendations. This may lead to formal or informal Knowledge Transfer sessions, configurations coaching and best-fit solutions engineering, if required.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"571\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/happyinthehills.com\/zentriathlete\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Screenshot-2025-05-30-at-11.44.36\u202fPM-1024x571.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-21648\" srcset=\"https:\/\/happyinthehills.com\/zentriathlete\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Screenshot-2025-05-30-at-11.44.36\u202fPM-1024x571.png 1024w, https:\/\/happyinthehills.com\/zentriathlete\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Screenshot-2025-05-30-at-11.44.36\u202fPM-550x307.png 550w, https:\/\/happyinthehills.com\/zentriathlete\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Screenshot-2025-05-30-at-11.44.36\u202fPM-820x457.png 820w, https:\/\/happyinthehills.com\/zentriathlete\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Screenshot-2025-05-30-at-11.44.36\u202fPM-300x167.png 300w, https:\/\/happyinthehills.com\/zentriathlete\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Screenshot-2025-05-30-at-11.44.36\u202fPM-768x428.png 768w, https:\/\/happyinthehills.com\/zentriathlete\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Screenshot-2025-05-30-at-11.44.36\u202fPM.png 1377w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/fastercapital.com\/content\/Organizational-Behavior--Exploring-the-Hawthorne-Effect-in-the-Workplace.html\">https:\/\/fastercapital.com\/content\/Organizational-Behavior&#8211;Exploring-the-Hawthorne-Effect-in-the-Workplace.html<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Fifteen Years of Growth, Gratitude, and Grit in the Ellucian Ecosystem<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Somewhere along the way, I became a trusted advisor and influencer within the Ellucian Banner ERP space\u2014particularly in the Student, Accounts Receivable, and General modules, among other areas of influence. It\u2019s been a journey filled with learning, evolving, and connecting. Along this path, I\u2019ve had the privilege of working with individuals who have challenged my credibility, supported my growth, witnessed my vulnerabilities, and celebrated both my failures and successes. What an adventure it has been\u2014and I hope there are many more years ahead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Lately, I\u2019ve felt the weight of constant, necessary change\u2014navigating ambiguity, adapting to shifting priorities, and pushing through fatigue. Still, the memories I\u2019ve collected along the way continue to inspire me. One that stands out is my experience at what we now know as Ellucian Live in San Diego. A colleague had transitioned to a new role, and I was asked to step in and co-present on their behalf. That July also marked his 15th year in the field\u2014a milestone we now share.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">The presentation I delivered didn\u2019t resonate much with many U.S. higher ed institutions at the time. But immediately afterward, I was approached by several UK attendees who were eager to dive deeper into the topic\u2014particularly around GDPR, data management, and data retention and destruction, which were hot topics then. That moment reminded me of the relativity of relevance and introduced me to the concept of \u201c<strong>prevalence-induced concept change<\/strong>\u201d\u2014how our perception of importance shifts based on context.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">San Diego brought more surprises. I was approached\u2014quite publicly\u2014by a customer who offered me a position at their institution, right in front of my direct leadership. Navigating that moment with grace and professionalism was no small feat. After that illustrious memory, I also reconnected with a colleague I had worked with in Strasbourg, France. That reunion reminded me just how far I\u2019ve come\u2014how I\u2019ve taken ownership of my career, embraced autonomy, and never lost sight of what matters most: family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Yes, I\u2019ve passed on some opportunities. But I\u2019ve rarely missed a chance to be grateful\u2014for the people, the experiences, and the connections I\u2019ve made in the educational technology space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">So, when I look at my well-worn backpack and suitcases that have logged over a million air miles, I can\u2019t help but smile. What a journey it\u2019s been. As I step into my 15th year, I do so with gratitude, anticipation, and a readiness for whatever comes next\u2014one step, one meeting, one success (or failure) at a time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Here\u2019s to many more adventures while I am employed by <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ellucian.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Ellucian<\/a>. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This thought from AC came across my way as I was doing dishes and playing with the kiddos and while it&#8217;s clear that many things are outside of my control these days &#8211; Like Seneca _ I can come to control what I can of my existence. Some key drivers for me that I have ignored while nursing an injury and not training include:<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":21447,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"nf_dc_page":"","_eb_attr":"","pagelayer_contact_templates":[],"_pagelayer_content":"","rs_blank_template":"","rs_page_bg_color":"","slide_template_v7":"","wprm-recipe-roundup-name":"","wprm-recipe-roundup-description":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[814,674,817],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-21645","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ads","category-2025-check-ins","category-prnci"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/happyinthehills.com\/zentriathlete\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21645","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/happyinthehills.com\/zentriathlete\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/happyinthehills.com\/zentriathlete\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/happyinthehills.com\/zentriathlete\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/happyinthehills.com\/zentriathlete\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21645"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/happyinthehills.com\/zentriathlete\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21645\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24168,"href":"https:\/\/happyinthehills.com\/zentriathlete\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21645\/revisions\/24168"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/happyinthehills.com\/zentriathlete\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/21447"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/happyinthehills.com\/zentriathlete\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21645"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/happyinthehills.com\/zentriathlete\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21645"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/happyinthehills.com\/zentriathlete\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21645"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}