Graduate Advisor Team
Page address: https://web.mnsu.edu/activities/gateam.html
Alex is originally from Ham Lake, MN. He graduated from Blaine High School in May 2014 and chose to attend Minnesota State University, Mankato for its excellent Sport Management program. Upon arriving on campus, he was not thrilled with his first month living in the dorms. Thankfully, his Orientation Peer Assistant reached out to him and invited him to play volleyball with his fraternity. Having nothing to lose, Alex and some of his friends decided to participate. This eventually led to Alex and his friends Joining Phi Delta Theta Fraternity. While in Phi Delta Theta, Alex had the opportunity to hold numerous positions of leadership. These included Recruitment chairman and President of the fraternity. Outside of his Fraternity Involvement, He participated in multiple different Student organizations including Dance Marathon, Inter-fraternal Council (IFC), Sport Management Association, and Order of Omega. Throughout his four undergraduate years, he also interned with MSU Athletics doing marketing and promotions for select sports teams and events to help prepare him for a future career in athletics.
Alex is a first generation college graduate for his family along with his older brother Kelly, who graduated from MSU in 2008. Alex chose to attend graduate school at MSU to further prepare himself for his career working in sports and to gain more leadership experience. He applied for the Student Events Team graduate assistant position because he has a passion for mentoring people and working with ambitious, driven young adults.
Outside of school, Alex has a long-distance partner of who is currently attending the University of North Dakota as a biology pre-med major. In his free time, Alex enjoys being outdoors. Whether it is playing sports, fishing, boating, or just enjoying the beautiful summer whether in Minnesota, he just enjoys fresh air and nature. His hobbies include weight lifting, volunteering in his community, cleaning (yes, cleaning), and being involved in his clubs and organizations.
Travis is originally from South Korea where he lived for 18 years, receiving his elementary, middle, and high school education on an Army Base. He calls the city of Seoul his hometown, and due to the 10 million people population, feels more at home in big cities surrounded by tall buildings. After graduating Seoul American High School, Travis attended the University of North Carolina at Charlotte where he double majored in Criminal Justice and Sociology with a minor in Public Health. “Busy people get stuff done” was Travis’s motto during his 4 years, as he became actively involved on campus, immersing himself with leadership opportunities at every chance. During his junior year, he became a Founding Father of Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity, an organization that literally changed his life – as cliché as that may sound, and served as secretary and vice president. Currently, he is working towards getting his Masters in Public Administration with ambitions of one day becoming a city manager in Minnesota.
Some interesting facts about Travis: he can speak Korean proficiently, he has an unhealthy love for ice cream and chocolate, puppies make his voice change into a frequency that no one wants to hear, and he hopes to one day work in the White House.
Jessica Lee
Graduate Advisor, Recognized Student Organizations & Leadership U
Jessica was born and raised in Albany, Oregon. She graduated from Oregon State University with degrees in Psychology and Ethnic Studies: Chinese Studies. After graduating, she moved to Singapore on a whim and desire to travel and found employment at a tutoring agency. After a 2-year stint in Singapore, she moved back to the states and settled in Portland, Oregon. From there she was employed by Pathfinders of Oregon, a 501(c) non-profit organization offering cognitive restructuring and parenting classes with incarcerated adults. At her time with this organization, and in a prison environment, she came to learn about needs of support for disenfranchised groups, the challenges non-profit organizations face, the consequences of burnout in the workplace, and the deep need for wellness for all. This pushed Jessica to pursue her Masters degree in Industrial-Organizational Psychology. She hopes to use her newfound knowledge to consult for diverse agencies and to contribute to her community in creating workplaces that are healthy, happy, and productive. She looks forward to living and learning in Mankato.
Kennedi is originally from Owatonna, MN, and following high school she attended Augustana University to receive a bachelors degree in Psychology. Kennedi is pursuing a PhD in Psychology at MSU, Mankato.
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