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Meet McKenzie Mathewson, a 2018 BS Public Relations and Economics alumna from Lewiston, MI. McKenzie currently resides in Gunnison, CO where she is employed as the Associate Director of Community Wellness at a local University.
Former and Current Roles
Real Estate Agent - Lewison, MI
Assistant Hall Director - Missouri State University, Springfield, MO
Resident Director - Western Colorado University, Gunnison, CO
Assistant Director of Residence Life, Gunnison, CO
Associate Director of Residence Life, Gunnison, CO
Associate Director of Community Wellness, Gunnison, CO - Current role
Brief Description of What You Do
My title is a fancy way to say "I care about students" - meaning, I oversee all things student wellness - supporting folks during crisis, connecting people to resources, offering trainings/resources, managing the on-campus food pantry, working with our health/counseling centers, etc. If a student needs help, I'm often one of the first people they come to and provide support as long as they need it.
What at NMU helped you most in your current role?
I LOVED my experience at NMU and it launched me into my career. While I was at NMU, I was a resident assistant (RA), which is where I discovered I wanted to help people. I was involved in various clubs and took every opportunity to participate in events. I learned just as much, if not more outside of the classroom. I had the opportunity to go to New Zealand with other NMU students and met some of my lifelong friends. NMU is where I learned to be bold, brave, and adventurous - cause life is more fun that way. I really found myself and now challenge students I work with to do the same thing. I also learned how important and powerful it is to tell people's stories. I use my public relations degree to help curve stigma around getting help and accessing resources.
What advice would you give current students?
Advice I'd give would be, just do it! Join that club, go on that study abroad trip, take that class you want to take. NMU is a great place to learn about yourself, so just do the thing. There's also a TON of people at NMU who want to help you succeed, find those people and learn from them. And, don't underestimate the connections you have as a NMU student/alumni. I've met NMU alumni all over the country, some more than 30 years older than I am. I even met an alumni who was the RA of Artic House (where I was the RA in 2017) back in the 90s while visiting friends in Alaska. Talk about a cool connection! I even found WCU because of a different alumni who used to live out here. Once a Wildcat, Always a Wildcat.