By Binta Bah
Jane King sitting at her desk in Student Services building. (Photo by Binta Bah)
Roaming around the second floor of the Student Services building is Jane King, 47, who maintains a wonderful desire to collaborate with her students. She is energized to come to work occasionally; making sure to gain one-on-one conferences before the sun goes down.
King is an Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) counselor at Purchase College, known for being compassionate and conscientious according to her students and colleagues.
“My first impression of Jane when I met her was very astonishing,” said Jennifer Shingelo, director of student advising and academic support. “She is so gentle, warm, and open-minded about giving me pointers to help my students out with their academic concerns. She is also a good addition to the EOP advising team.”
King puts into perspective on how each of her students might not have obtained comprehension, in reference to higher education in college. King said, “I feel strongly about my position to help students gain knowledge on how to apply to college, how to talk to faculty members, and how to register for classes. It's important to work with students so they have equal access to higher education.”
One of the main tasks of an EOP counselor is to help students with their course load and financial aid benefits. Each student needs a greater amount of counseling in terms of graduation, during their four-year-long journey in college.
“It's my priority to provide as much guidance and support towards my students,” said King. “I met up with them for the first time at the EOP summer academy program which starts in July.”
The EOP summer academy program is a three-week mandatory program for all incoming EOP freshmen. Each student gets a chance to explore the expectations of being a college student, and also to build well-defined relationships with one another. All students take a few classes in order to successfully earn one college credit. EOP also provides additional funding for housing, tuition, and meals.
King demonstrated an experience of aiding one of her students. “He needed a few different books for a class that he was taking and didn't have the funds to afford the material,” said King. Adding on, “I thought about how I could help him out in this situation. I went to my local library to check to see if the books that he needed was actually there. Luckily, they were and I was able to rent them for him. He was very thankful and I was glad that he was able to succeed in his class.”
Jane King standing next to her EOP stall. (Photo by Binta Bah)
Before working at Purchase, King was a special education teacher for about 10 years; later on transiting into becoming an academic advisor at Mercy College. King eventually applied to Purchase and was accepted. She began working inside her office on Feb. 28 of 2022.
Paul Nicholson, the director of EOP, stated, “She is such a team player! I have had many conversations with Jane about her students. Jane is always asking questions about how to assist them with some issues.”
A student of King’s, Khali Nixon, recently opened up about a difficult past circumstance that he eventually overcame thanks to the help of King. Nixon is a senior and a communications major at Purchase. “After my freshman year, I had the majority of Fs. Jane was very helpful with helping me understand what steps to take such as Sophomore Summer Quest and then writing an appeal letter.” Adding on, “That time was highly stressful for me. Jane taking time out of her summer; to help me get on track is something I am truly grateful for,” said Nixon.
While King works at her office, another student, Jazmine Medina, describes King as being very welcoming and professional. Medina, who is also a senior and a graphic design major, said, “She always greets me with a smile and offers me a seat in her office. She has plenty of sensory fidget toys, snacks, mandela, coloring books, and tons of candy. I am very excited to have her as my counselor.”
King characteristics led her to develop closer relationships with her colleagues. Mary Garcia, a fellow coworker, said, “I had some private conversations with Jane. I observed her as being very organized and resourceful.” Garcia said further, “Jane is hopeful for her students to excel above and beyond. She is providing her time and dedication to not just herself but to her students that she works with day to day.”
King’s role and working abilities hasn’t only been observed while working in her office, but also off campus. Glory Rojas, another counselor in EOP, stated, “We went to Albany for an EOP Counselor’s Summit. We learned more about each other, I was able to witness how much she is willing to learn and absorb new ideas and suggestions to get the job done. Her responsibility is always making sure to check in on the well-being of everyone surrounding her.”
While at home, King has a family of her own. She is currently married and raising two daughters. King also has a dog named Landry who is very fuzzy. King described her household as being extremely busy. “There's always something going on, in terms of activities or things that need to be done at the house. It’s very busy but it is fun,” she said.
Jane King standing with pictures she received from her daughters. (Photo by Binta Bah)
Academic advisor Jennifer Shingelo touched on her friendship with King, “I'm really glad Jane came to this school. She is definitely not here for any kind of recognition, awards, or anything like that.” Shingelo added, “It’s joyful for her daughters and my daughters to play around with each other when we both bring them in.”
While enduring further footsteps, King is aiming to lead the pathway for future students, who want to register to Purchase as an EOP student. King said, “Transitioning to a college environment is a huge adjustment.” She added, “The expectations are very different and time management is very different. In the end, I will prevail; to become that big support system towards my students.”
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