Alumni Spotlight - June 2026

How long were you a member of miLEAD? What positions did you hold?

I was a member of miLEAD from 2017 to 2020. I started as a consultant, then transitioned into a project manager role. Later, I joined the miLEAD board as the Director of Public Relations. I stayed on the board for several cycles, first switching to the Director of Finance position, then becoming Vice President and ultimately serving as the President of miLEAD.

What was the most interesting project you were involved with while in milead?

While working with external clients was undoubtedly the cornerstone of the miLEAD experience, I was actually partial to the "internal" projects, which focused on improving miLEAD's organizational infrastructure. Some of these internal projects that I worked on or oversaw aimed to understand the needs of the current miLEAD community and generate training materials or organize professional development opportunities to help them enter the consulting space, become productive members of the organization, and hone in on tangible career aspirations. Through these projects, I felt I was able to ensure sustainability of the organization for years to come such that future students and post-docs could have a similarly positive experience to mine.

How did miLEAD help you obtain your current position? What Skills did you learn through milead that you use in your current position?

miLEAD provided so many opportunities for me to develop and showcase skills that were directly relevant to my current position: conducting and consolidating primary research, organizing meeting agendas and event logistics, developing standard operating procedures, engaging a community, managing a budget, assessing progress and success metrics, etc. Furthermore, because I engaged with many of those aforementioned skills for the first time during my work with miLEAD, I felt confident in my ability to expand my skillset in the future in order to adapt to the needs of my current position - whatever they may be.

What advice would you give to current or prospective miLEAD consultants?

Use your time at Michigan to explore the "network" around you! There are so many university employees with such eclectic jobs, interests, and career trajectories. Whatever career you are considering, there is probably someone at Michigan who has deep experience in it (or is currently doing it). Be liberal with reaching out to folks on LinkedIn or via your university email. The more people you talk to - even for 10 minutes - the more people who know/remember you, what you are interested in, and what you want to achieve. Don't underestimate the power of this network in finding connections and opportunities!