- Pre-Health Advisor
(she/they)
Pamela joined CU Boulder in January 2022 as a Pre-Health Advisor. Prior to this position, they served as Health Sciences Pathway Advisor at Red Rocks Community College, where they discovered their passion for working with pre-health students and helping them identify the academic pathways that will help them achieve their goals. One of the things Pamela loves about pre-health advising is knowing that their students will go on to make a meaningful impact in so many people’s lives.
Pamela’s journey through higher education, both as a student and as an educator, has taken a few turns. They entered college thinking they wanted to be a writer and received their B.A. degree in English from the University of Michigan in 2009. However, along the way they worked as a writing tutor and discovered their passion for helping others develop their literacy skills. This led to a number of years as an English language teacher and earning a degree in Second Language Studies from the University of Hawai’i in 2014.
While working as an English language teacher, Pamela noticed an overlap between the literacy skills she was helping second language learners acquire and the academic skills that students from marginalized backgrounds such as first-generation students, multilingual students, students of color, and students with disabilities also needed. They noticed that some students were starting their first semester of college without knowing some of the academic expectations that their peers took for granted, such as effective study habits, how to network with professors, and how to use campus resources to their advantage. This led Pamela to step into the world of student support, including working in academic support programs, leading peer mentoring programs, and designing bridge programs aimed at preparing high school students for their first semester of college.
Pamela grew up in Michigan, but their work has taken them to South Korea, Hawai'i, Vietnam, and now Colorado. Outside of work, Pamela enjoys reading science fiction, creative writing, playing with dogs, and getting their feet dirty in the Front Range on the weekends.