{"id":2050,"date":"2018-09-23T17:14:31","date_gmt":"2018-09-23T17:14:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.missouriwestern.edu\/yearbook\/?p=2050"},"modified":"2019-06-29T21:59:03","modified_gmt":"2019-06-30T02:59:03","slug":"changing-lives","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.missouriwestern.edu\/yearbook\/2018\/09\/23\/changing-lives\/","title":{"rendered":"Changing Lives"},"content":{"rendered":"

By: Lindsay Gomez & Maggie Sharp<\/span><\/p>\n

Vice President of Student Affairs at Missouri Western, Shana Meyer, paved the way in her career path to end up where she is today: successful.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Meyer directs three areas on campus which include health and wellness, student development and student services. She has been in the vice president position at Western<\/a> since April 2013.<\/span><\/p>\n

Meyer is just the second vice president of student affairs that the university has had. The program began in 2010 and Meyer saw the opportunity to develop the program.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI really saw Missouri Western as a place that could be up and coming,\u201d Meyer said. \u201cThis was a 20 year career path that led me to this advancement in my personal career at Missouri Western.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Isaiah Collier, assistant dean of student development at Western, works directly with Meyer in the department, as she is his direct supervisor. With weekly one-on-one meetings to discuss events, Collier is motivated by Meyer to perform better.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt lights a fire underneath me, even when I think about leaving after 12-15 hour work days, I still see Shana\u2019s car here,\u201d Collier said. \u201cShe has taught me so much about the field professionally and is always the supervisor to respond to every email.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Meyer made the best decision she could for her father this past summer and selflessly donated her kidney to him. Even with a constant work schedule, Meyer pushed herself to fulfill all of those responsibilities and had tremendous support doing so from Missouri Western staff.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDr. Vartabedian was always so kind, asking about my father\u2019s health and my staff was amazing,\u201d Meyer said. \u201cI get nothing but love and support from Missouri Western.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Jessica Frogge, administrative coordinator for the student government association at Western, works with Meyer directly in student affairs. <\/span><\/p>\n

Meyer has plenty of knowledge in the field and Frogge knows she can go to Meyer for anything. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf there is one thing I love about Shana, especially as a supervisor, she lets you know when you\u2019re doing a good job; she doesn\u2019t let what you do go unnoticed,\u201d Frogge said.<\/span><\/p>\n

Meyer will continue to show us there is nothing she can\u2019t accomplish as she improves Western\u2019s students\u2019 lives through her dedication to student affairs.<\/span><\/p>\n

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For the past 14 years, Dr. Vincenza Marash has worked in the Western counseling department as a diversity and women\u2019s counselor.<\/span><\/p>\n

Marash has three master\u2019s in Social Work, Developmental Psychology and Liberal Studies as well as a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology.<\/span><\/p>\n

Marash participates in a diversity task force on campus whose objective is to be responsive to diversity issues. The group develops ideas and concepts to make sure all students feel comfortable and at home.<\/span><\/p>\n

For Marash it isn\u2019t about her being the one to heal her clients, but rather helping them heal themselves and work towards change and self-acceptance. She approaches her work with the idea that each of her clients is an expert of their own lives and she is merely there to try and improve where they are currently.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI feel like my role is to be a facilitator to create a safe space where my clients can hear themselves think, speak their truths, feel understood and work towards constructive life change,\u201d Marash said.<\/span><\/p>\n

According to Counseling Center<\/a> Director Dave Brown, Marash brings a special aspect to their work, not only by being the only female counselor, but by bringing her knowledge of social work into the mix. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cShe genuinely cares for students and she brings a lot of that to her work,\u201d Brown said.<\/span><\/p>\n

Kathy Lau, administrative assistant for Western\u2019s counseling department said that Marash brings a special feel to the workplace while still being professional. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cShe is very professional, very caring towards her clients and very concerned,\u201d Lau said. \u201cShe\u2019s very good at thinking of others.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

For her clients and coworkers, Marash has found a balance between professional and caring to make work a pleasant place for everyone. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\t\t