Summary
Hello! My name is Cydney and I’ve been advising students at the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) since 2019. I was born in Seoul, South Korea but moved to a rural area of Northern California as a baby. After high school, I relocated to Reno to attend University of Nevada, Reno, where I made lifelong friendships, studied abroad in Costa Rica, and snowboarded… a lot. I earned my Bachelor of Arts in International Affairs with a minor in Economic Policy. Many years later I returned and earned my Master of Science in Equity and Diversity in Education.
In my last year as an undergraduate, I went to a college career fair and talked with representatives from an environmental non-profit. I was interested in their work but didn’t think they’d have a position relevant to me as a Liberal Arts major. However, after talking with them, I learned they had an international program and shortly after, was able to arrange a paid internship for class credit with them. After graduating (during tumultuous economic times) they offered me a full-time position. After about five years I decided to try the private sector and worked for large businesses doing administrative work/human resources, procurement, and recruitment. However, I missed working towards a greater good and returned to non-profits. I eventually landed at the University Studies Abroad Consortium (USAC), UNR’s main study abroad partner. Here I discovered my passion for working in higher education and decided to go all in and took a position as a Liberal Arts advisor. Similarly, to many people with Liberal Arts backgrounds, I’ve had an indirect career path that has allowed me to build my personal and professional network and gain valuable experience from a variety of fields and industries.
I believe college is a special and unique time in a person’s life, and to be someone there to help support students on this journey is immensely rewarding. One of my favorite things about advising is discussing a student’s goals and helping them find a pathway to achieve their dreams!
Fun Facts: I love snowboarding, whitewater rafting, mountain biking, and traveling. My favorite thing is going on adventures outside with my spouse and dogs.
Education
- International Affairs BA at the University of Nevada
- Equity and Diversity in Education MS at the University of Nevada, Reno
Professional certifications
- Certified Mental Health First Aider
- Foundations for Advancing Belonging (FAB) Training Certificate
- Implicit Bias and Search Committee Training
- Inclusive Instruction for Universal Design for Learning
- SafeZone Training on LGBTQUIA+ Allyship
- Sexual Harassment Awareness & Prevention
- UndocuAlly
- VetSmart