GPI - Rachel Spezia, Associate Dean of Students
By Antonio Machado
Associate Editor
What is your academic and professional background?
My undergraduate degree is from Illinois State University. I have a bachelor’s in psychology and sociology, and that’s where I got interested in student affairs because I was a resident assistant. And then my master’s degree is from Boston College in higher education administration. I started out working at Lasell University as a hall director, and I also worked in student activities. And from there, I got really interested in student activities, and started here at Framingham State Oct. 2, 2000. When I was here, I started as the director of student involvement and had an office of three people and during the time I’ve been here, I’ve had different experiences. At one point, I oversaw Campus Events. We also did the Student Transportation Center. I’ve worked with club boards, and all kinds of different opportunities have come up. And then in 2014 or 15, I was promoted to assistant dean and shifted out of student activities.
What is your favorite part about working here?
There’s quite a bit, actually. I stay, really, because I enjoy the students I work with. I’ve met so many amazing students over the time that I’ve worked here, and they really make it interesting and fun and challenging. To see someone start out as a new student and then get to watch them graduate is really rewarding. But those relationships have been really fulfilling. And then I have a lot of really wonderful colleagues - from faculty members that I’ve gotten to know really well to colleagues who have stayed around the whole time that I've been here. But I work with some really great professionals, who I would also call friends. … I do know that I'm incredibly fortunate that I really love the work that I'm doing. I can't say that every single day is amazing and that there haven't been stressful times. But finding something that you're really passionate about and that you enjoy, I know is something that doesn’t happen all the time. Like, sometimes people just have jobs, but I really enjoy the work that I do. And eight times out of ten, I'm happy I'm at work.
Tell us a little about your job and responsibilities.
I'm the associate dean of students, and the executive director of student experience and career development, Dr. Sara Long Gallegos reports to me, so that area of career development, student experience, that's a direct report to me. My job itself, I oversee some different campus traditions and programming, so still, a lot of the work with students, so like Homecoming and Family Weekend. I also work on leadership programs like Emerging Leaders and the Women’s Student Leadership Network. So a lot of outreach and engagement type programs. I also work with our assessment and strategic initiatives through Student Affairs. So the division of Student Affairs - I coordinate their assessment goals and organize that.
What motivates you?
I like to change things up and be creative and try different things, but also I think it feeds off of the people who are involved in helping me plan things when they get excited about it or bring new ideas. It reminds me it's always good to have a different set of eyes and to refresh things. So I think it’s both things - my own desire to change things up and keep things different and be creative. But also, I really enjoy working with people and to help them facilitate what their ideas are. So, for example, I supervise the Ram Engagement Ambassadors. So watching a team of students come up with ideas is really exciting to me and helping give them the tools to execute their ideas because they know better than I do a lot of times about what’s exciting and interesting, or like, I advise student government. So really just kind of guiding their interest and what they're advocating for keeps me fresh in the work that I'm doing.
What advice would you give to FSU students?
I think you have to own your experience here. It's up to you to kind of challenge yourself to try something new. Even the smallest thing has a butterfly effect. Something small like if a friend says, “Hey, go to this event with me,” just stepping outside your comfort zone to go. So I think a lot of it's just being OK with the discomfort. Because in life, that's what happens. Like there's all these hundreds of thousands of little tiny opportunities and experiences that come up and you can't take all of them, but you have to be able to be okay with being a little uncomfortable because that's where the real learning, and the exciting stuff can happen. Even if it doesn't seem like it right away.
Do you have any hobbies or ways you like spending your time away from the University?
Well, one thing I didn't mention has been part of my job, which also spurred an interest in me, is traveling. I go to India with a group of students with Dr. Lisa Eck, which has been fantastic. That’s really opened my eyes to travel and not in a canned, touristy way, but just going out and experiencing places. So when I can, I try to travel and go places. I'd like to do more of that. When I'm not here, you know, I have two kids. Well, they're basically young adults now. So I do spend time with them. I tried to garden in the summer and it was an epic fail. … I was trying vegetables, and I did successfully grow a lot of hot peppers. It never works. It never works. … Something I read, I think it was, I'm not trying to be super cheesy, but I think it was the author Kurt Vonnegut, who said, “You don't have to master everything you try.” You know, sometimes you're just trying to try it. You're not going to be great at things. It's about just taking the opportunities. I took a pottery class once - I'm terrible at pottery. I've taken Latin dance lessons - I’m a little bit better at that. The gardening, which is shameful because I'm from the Midwest and I come from farmers. But it is what it is. … I'm also in the middle of updating and renovating where I live. I guess I dabble in different things, but I also really like to be active and exercise and things like that.
