HEI is proud to have Ashley Mineard on our team as our administrative support specialist. Get to know Ashley with a brief interview below!
Ashley Mineard is the administrative support specialist at HEI. Ashley provides executive assistance to the principal as well as communications and general project support to the HEI team as a whole. Ashley is also responsible for daily administrative tasks at HEI’s home office. A recent graduate from George Mason University in Spring of 2021, Ashley is new to this industry and is hoping to gain skills from HEI she can take with her in her career.
What first drew you to work in higher education?
I was looking for my first job out of college when I found HEI. The possibility of working at HEI was appealing to me because my struggles in college were still fresh in my mind at the time, therefore I felt somewhat connected with the work we do. I thought that by applying and getting a job in this field, I would feel like I am making a difference in helping the education system improve, even if it’s in a small way.
How would you describe the work you’re most passionate about?
I am most passionate about helping others. If I can ease the burden someone is feeling by helping them in small ways or large, then I feel a great sense of accomplishment. I enjoy being the person others can rely on. In the future, I hope that I can scale up the kind of help I can give and help more people during my career.
What gives you hope in the work you do?
Seeing more free tuition options becoming available across the country for students has been what is giving me hope. I know it’s only a small part of student success and the things in the industry that can be improved upon, however I just think of the opportunities so many students are getting with free tuition and it inspires me. Seeing these initiatives come out also helps me believe we are taking steps in the right direction of improving higher education for our future generations.
What is your favorite part of working at HEI and with HEI’s clients?
My favorite part about working at HEI is the learning: new skills, the different life experiences and perspectives of others, learning about our clients, and the education system as a whole.