Tara Malone

Associate Director, Regional Campuses Pronouns: she/her/hers

I lead career services and programming for the regional campuses. Hard for me to believe it sometimes, but I’ve been in the career development field for about 20 years. I still remember my undergraduate days as a first gen college student and, based on my experiences, one of my passions is working with first gen and diverse student populations. I serve on the Center for Career Development Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committee and oversee the First Gen Affinity Community. My motivation for working in career development is to support students’ career journeys and to help create access to equitable and meaningful life transformative opportunities. My favorite part of my job is witnessing students achieve their goals, big or small.

Learn more about me here: Conquering Imposter Syndrome

Bio

Hometown: Bridgeport, CT

Things I enjoy: I consider myself to be a socially-conscious creative. It is essential for me to have a career that provides space to have fun, explore, and most importantly, to make a difference. I love brainstorming with my colleagues and coming up with new ideas. Program planning is an exciting part of my role because it allows me to be innovative and try out new things. I grew up in an artistic family and the arts remain a huge part of my life. Whether I am creating artwork, planning a program, or developing resources I want to inspire and help others and contribute to a greater good.

Advice to students: I have spoken to many students who feel like everyone else has it all figured out except for them. They are anxious about making a decision on a major or career path because they don’t want to make the “wrong” choice, believing that what they decide now will be a life-long, irreversible decision. Although I validate these feelings (of course, these are important decisions) I also want students to understand that this is an ongoing journey that extends far beyond college. All we can do is start going in a certain direction. Have a goal in mind but be open to those chance events that will inevitably occur. Those twists and turns will lead to many surprisingly positive things that couldn’t be planned for or imagined. You will meet people, discover new interests, and be presented with opportunities that will continually contribute to your professional development. Have a plan, but be ready for and welcome the unexpected.

Education

Fairfield University, Fairfield, CT

Master of Arts, Community Counseling

Emerson College, Boston, MA

Bachelor of Science in Speech, Major: Advertising

Favorite Experience: In my senior year, I took on the challenge of revamping a defunct student club, Emerson’s Black Student Organization, EBONI. Our leadership team successfully re-established EBONI as a recognized student organization, gained funding, cultivated membership, and increased campus visibility resulting in being awarded Student Organization of the Year! Talking about this experience in an interview helped me to land my first entry-level position upon graduation.

Previous Roles

• Assistant Director – UConn Center for Career Development, Stamford, CT
• Assistant Director – Purchase College, SUNY, Purchase, NY
• Assistant Director – Teikyo Post University, Waterbury, CT
• Academic Coordinator – Albertus Magnus College, New Haven, CT
• Program Coordinator – Upward Bound (TRIO), Fairfield, CT
• Academic Counselor – Project Excel/Student Support Services (TRIO), Fairfield, CT