Rising Star Spotlight: Jessica Chandler

Will 2017 bring you change and the opportunity for a new adventure? Are you ready to mix up your scenery, expand your professional circle, grow your skill set, and conquer new challenges? A study by Forbes shows that nearly 50 percent of the population relocates to another state or out of the country for a new job! Check out some of the top cities for twentysomethings on Forbes and Buzzfeed.

Many members in your Women Leaders in College Sports network have already made this transition!

Check out Jessica Chandler's story on her move to St. Louis!

1. What do you wish you would have known before you made the move?

It isn’t what I wish I would have known before I made the move, but more what I wish I would have taken advantage of more quickly after arriving in St. Louis. I am lucky to be surrounded by so many professional peers. St. Louis is a sports town! It is home to Junior Colleges, NAIA institutions, schools competing in all 3 NCAA divisions, athletic conferences, as well as professional sports. Going to my first Women Leaders in College Sports Happy Hour introduced me to many new faces!

2. Professionally what has been most satisfying about your new position?

The ability to build relationships within my department with students and staff, as well as in our campus community, is what I enjoy most. Working in compliance you are not always the person students and staff get excited to talk to. In my role as Senior Woman Administrator at UMSL I am able to build relationships with students and staff within my own department, as well as across campus by serving as a liaison between Athletics and other campus departments (Housing, Financial Aid, Registrar, Admissions, Student Involvement, etc.). These connections are a great way to keep Athletics involved in what is happening across campus, as well as build better personal relationships – this way when I do have a compliance/eligibility issue to discuss, they know me as someone other than the “rules lady.”

3. How would you describe your professional growth since moving to your new city?

I have definitely become more confident professionally since moving into this role. Part of it just comes with more years of experience and learning from every new situation that arises, but part of it has come from not being afraid to get involved with committees or other professional opportunities. This past summer I was lucky enough to be a member of the IAA West cohort (#RockiesRising). This amazing experience helped me reflect on my personal and professional goals, and introduced me to a remarkable group of women who almost daily send out encouraging w