{"id":536,"date":"2017-07-11T15:17:24","date_gmt":"2017-07-11T22:17:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/?p=536"},"modified":"2024-04-02T15:09:09","modified_gmt":"2024-04-02T22:09:09","slug":"melissa-whitney","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/melissa-whitney\/","title":{"rendered":"Getting to know Melissa Whitney"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ecampus enrollment services specialist<\/h2>\n

\"Melissa<\/h3>\n

After figuring out her desired career path with the help of an Oregon State advisor, Oregon State Ecampus Enrollment Services Specialist Melissa Whitney<\/a> is excited to pass that same positive experience to the prospective Ecampus students she serves. Melissa began working at Ecampus in 2012, after serving as a student administrative assistant at OSU Facilities. In addition to her day-to-day job, Melissa operates her own side business as a professional photographer for Melissa Whitney Photography<\/a>, where she focuses on portraits, engagement photos, weddings, landscapes and more. She earned a B.A. in Sociology from Oregon State University.<\/em><\/p>\n

\n

By\u00a0Heather Doherty<\/a><\/em>\u00a0\u00a0
\n<\/em><\/a>July 11,\u00a02017<\/em><\/p>\n

Hometown:<\/h3>\n

\u201cMcMinnville, Oregon\u201d<\/p>\n

When did you begin working at Oregon State Ecampus? <\/h3>\n

\u201cApril 9, 2012\u201d<\/p>\n

What excited you about the opportunity to work for OSU Ecampus? <\/h3>\n

\u201cWhat excited me about the opportunity to work for OSU Ecampus<\/a> was the possibility of working with others who are making the decision to go back to school. I am one of the first people a prospective student connects with when they get ahold of Ecampus, and I get excited to be a part of someone\u2019s decision to go back to school. I know personally how difficult of a decision that can be, so it is awesome to work with people who are motivated to complete the degree they started five, 10, maybe even 30 years ago! It\u2019s inspirational to hear the reasons they want to finish what they started.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Melissa

\u201cI love the people I get to work with! All of us have the common goal of providing prospective and current students the best experience possible. It is awesome to work with a team that continues to be innovative in the ways we serve our students,” Melissa says.<\/p><\/div>\n

Describe what you do in your role. Who do you serve, what types of questions do you answer? <\/h3>\n

\u201cI work with prospective students interested in earning their degree online with Oregon State Ecampus. A lot of the prospective students I work with are coming back to school after being away from it for a while, so it is a big commitment and a really big decision these folks are making. My role is to help someone decide if OSU is the best fit for them. I answer questions about admission requirements, the admission process, the programs we offer, how online classes work and more.\u201d<\/p>\n

What do you like most about your job? <\/h3>\n

\u201cI love the people I get to work with! All of us have the common goal of providing prospective and current students the best experience possible. It is awesome to work with a team that continues to be innovative in the ways we serve our students.<\/p>\n

\u201cI also love that I get to talk to people from all over the world and to hear their stories about what is motivating them to go back to school.\u201d<\/p>\n

What made you decide to get into this field? <\/h3>\n

\u201cI was never one of those people that had a specific career goal in mind, and it was honestly throughout my college years when I started figuring out what my interests were. My college background is a little disjointed because of some family things that came up, and I was a nontraditional-aged student when I went back to school to finish my degree.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had never thought about working in higher education until I met with an advisor on campus who asked me if I had ever thought about it. At that point, I had honestly never considered it, but after speaking with her, I suddenly felt like I had a sense of direction and purpose. The biggest reason I completed my degree at OSU was because of the support I received before ever being admitted to the university. That support was pivotal in deciding to come back to school and finish my degree at Oregon State University, and if I can play a small part in someone\u2019s life to make an educated decision about moving forward with OSU, that feels pretty awesome.\u201d<\/p>\n

“<\/span>I get excited to be a part of someone\u2019s decision to go back to school. I know personally how difficult of a decision that can be, so it is awesome to work with people who are motivated to complete the degree they started five, 10, maybe even 30 years ago! It\u2019s inspirational to hear the reasons they want to finish what they started.”<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

What advice would you like to give to prospective Ecampus students? <\/h3>\n

\u201cI personally know the challenges, the barriers and the fears of going back to school. I took a giant leap of faith to finish my degree, and it was the first step to so many opportunities. So, the advice I would give to a prospective Ecampus student is that sometimes you have to take that leap and know that you will have people here to support you.\u201d<\/p>\n

What is one surprising thing about you that not many people know? <\/h3>\n

\u201cI have been to 29 out of 50 states, and to 10 different countries. I have a slight obsession with Route 66, and am planning a trip to drive the \u2018Mother Road,\u2019 hopefully within the next year or two.\u201d<\/p>\n

What are your favorite activities outside of work? <\/h3>\n

\u201cI\u2019m a bit of a weekend warrior, and love planning and taking road trips to places I have never been. I\u2019m an avid photographer and blogger, and like to document places I have visited. My favorite things to photograph are ghost towns and abandoned places. I love to get outdoors and check out a new hike or explore new territory. I also love doing research to find off-beat, weird and random places to eat, visit and, of course, photograph.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

<\/span> 4<\/span> minute read<\/span><\/span>“I get excited to be a part of someone\u2019s decision to go back to school. I know personally how difficult of a decision that can be, so it is awesome to work with people who are motivated to complete the degree they started five, 10, maybe even 30 years ago! It\u2019s inspirational to hear the reasons they want to finish what they started,” says OSU Ecampus Enrollment Services Specialist Melissa Whitney.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":538,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[673],"tags":[26,46,25,24],"class_list":["post-536","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-archives","tag-distance-education","tag-enrollment-services","tag-online-education","tag-online-learning"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Melissa-Main.jpg?fit=638%2C410&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7BNSE-8E","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2457,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/5-lessons-its-never-too-late-to-go-back-to-school\/","url_meta":{"origin":536,"position":0},"title":"5 lessons learned that prove it’s never too late to go back to school","author":"Melissa Whitney","date":"January 19, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"I was a nontraditional student \u2014 someone who might be a bit older or is often returning to education after a break. That gives me the unique opportunity to challenge the stigma around obtaining a degree at a later stage in life.","rel":"","context":"In "All Stories"","block_context":{"text":"All Stories","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/all\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"A woman wearing glasses sits while working on a laptop, with a book on the table in the foreground.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Michelle-Orr-800x450-1.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Michelle-Orr-800x450-1.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Michelle-Orr-800x450-1.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Michelle-Orr-800x450-1.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2955,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/answers-about-learning-online-at-oregon-state\/","url_meta":{"origin":536,"position":1},"title":"Four ways to get answers about learning online at Oregon State","author":"Jean Dion","date":"February 10, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Key resources you can use include scheduled phone calls, email conversations and webinars. You can also read educational articles and sign up for a series of informative email messages.","rel":"","context":"In "All Stories"","block_context":{"text":"All Stories","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/all\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"A student representative sits at a desk wearing a headset. A computer, phone and cups of water are visible.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/how-to-contact-us-800x450-1.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/how-to-contact-us-800x450-1.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/how-to-contact-us-800x450-1.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/how-to-contact-us-800x450-1.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2091,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/business-communications-microcredential-online\/","url_meta":{"origin":536,"position":2},"title":"3 reasons to earn a business and communications microcredential online","author":"Ali Duerfeldt","date":"September 14, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"The field of business and communications is rapidly evolving. And employers need people with the relevant and in-demand skills to meet organizational needs. Enter: microcredentials. In a few short courses, you can gain skills in business and communications and earn a digital badge to signify to employers your unique skills.","rel":"","context":"In "All Stories"","block_context":{"text":"All Stories","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/all\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Melissa Whitney, an Oregon State University graduate and enrollment specialist, stands in a farm field at dusk holding a large lens camera.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Melissa-Whitney-800x450-220818.jpg?fit=848%2C477&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Melissa-Whitney-800x450-220818.jpg?fit=848%2C477&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Melissa-Whitney-800x450-220818.jpg?fit=848%2C477&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Melissa-Whitney-800x450-220818.jpg?fit=848%2C477&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2404,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/2023-ecampus-enrollment-growth\/","url_meta":{"origin":536,"position":3},"title":"Oregon State University enrollment reaches a new record, topping 36,000","author":"Sean Nealon","date":"November 7, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"\u201cThe continued demand for Ecampus enrollment is particularly exciting, especially at a time when the university is launching a new strategic plan that calls for more than doubling Ecampus enrollment by 2030,\u201d said OSU President Jayathi Murthy.","rel":"","context":"In "All Stories"","block_context":{"text":"All Stories","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/all\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"A black entrance sign reads Oregon State University in gold lettering surrounded by a brick ledge and blooming flowers and a football stadium in the background.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/sign-entrance-reser-stadium.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/sign-entrance-reser-stadium.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/sign-entrance-reser-stadium.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/sign-entrance-reser-stadium.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/sign-entrance-reser-stadium.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":392,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/not-alone\/","url_meta":{"origin":536,"position":4},"title":"You are not alone\u00a0","author":"Heather Doherty","date":"January 23, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"We understand that the decision to return to college \u2013 or enroll for the first time \u2013 is a major one. That\u2019s why we have a whole team here to assist you throughout your academic process, from enrolling to graduation.","rel":"","context":"In "Archives"","block_context":{"text":"Archives","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/archives\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Two Ecampus enrollment specialists in an office space wearing phone headsets.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/olivia-638x410.jpg?fit=638%2C410&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/olivia-638x410.jpg?fit=638%2C410&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/olivia-638x410.jpg?fit=638%2C410&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1598,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/fall-enrollment-report\/","url_meta":{"origin":536,"position":5},"title":"Oregon State enrollment sets another record despite COVID-19 pandemic","author":"Sean Nealon","date":"November 11, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Oregon State University\u2019s fall 2020 enrollment reached a record level, driven by many factors, including increases in students of color and students enrolled in the university\u2019s online Ecampus program and OSU-Cascades in Bend.","rel":"","context":"In "All Stories"","block_context":{"text":"All Stories","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/all\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"A black entrance sign reads Oregon State University in gold lettering surrounded by a brick ledge and blooming flowers and a football stadium in the background.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/sign-entrance-reser-stadium.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/sign-entrance-reser-stadium.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/sign-entrance-reser-stadium.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/sign-entrance-reser-stadium.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/sign-entrance-reser-stadium.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/536","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=536"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/536\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/538"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=536"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=536"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=536"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}