Vanessa Ea started her career at UCCS as an academic advisor about 25 years ago, and she has been working with the UCCS Admissions Office for about 14 years. Having the opportunity to have lived in different places, from the ocean breeze of the West Coast in Hawaii to the city landscape in Chicago that is further East, she has shaped various perspectives regarding her backgrounds and how she could give back to the community. When Vanessa decided that Colorado was her home, she used the experience that she has gained throughout the years to contribute to the UCCS community and maintain the special connection between her and UCCS.
Although Vanessa is not an alumni herself, she is a great friend to the University. Before her current role at UCCS which is an Associate Director of Admissions in the UCCS Admissions Office, she also worked in various student success roles such as Student Orientation, or being an advisor for different UCCS colleges including the College of Business and the College of Letters, Arts, & Sciences. With that being said, her experience in working with the UCCS perspective students and families has contributed greatly to the scholarship review process.
As she was reading through the scholarship applications, she was impressed by how much the UCCS students have done for their community, and how they demonstrated the spirit of giving back to UCCS by using their valuable hands-on experience. To Vanessa, each scholarship essay is a reminder of their diverse backgrounds that could be considered as different puzzle pieces, which are all much needed for the final product. She could envision how each student, with their own knowledge and beliefs, will bring greater success to UCCS. She always felt so encouraged and excited after reading through each scholarship applicant.
Throughout her decades-long career at UCCS, Vanessa has made it a priority to establish meaningful relationships with students. As she would like to say, "I can't just improve myself, by just improving myself." Instead, Vanessa finds fulfillment in contributing to the UCCS community, whether through big or small gestures. For her, it does not matter if you are behind the scenes or in the public eye, the important thing is having "skin in the game" and a genuine desire to make a difference. Vanessa's story is a testament to the power of community involvement and the fulfillment that comes from selflessly giving back, a model for us all to follow.
