By: Medha Raman, LSJ Communications Assistant
The health of Law, Societies, and Justice is an outcome of many people devoting themselves to many different pursuits. Key to everything, however, is the LSJ staff, who provide all forms of support to faculty, students and alumni.
A new group of staff recently joined LSJ. All of them accomplished and dedicated, they are poised to help LSJ continue to grow and develop.
“It was hard to see valued staff members leave for new positions,” said Steve Herbert, LSJ Chair. “But I could not be happier about our new staff. They are each top-notch as individuals, and they are committed to working effectively as a team.”
Let us introduce you to each of these new staff: Kyla Krueger, Qanani Kalil, and Rachel Reichert.
Kyla Krueger- Academic Service Manager
Kyla Krueger comes to LSJ with lots of experience in advising. After working with almost 800 pre-major students in her personal advising cohort in Undergraduate Academic Affairs Advising (UAA Advising), she is ready to bring her expertise and unique perspective to a smaller group of students in LSJ.
“I’m really looking forward to creating deeper student connections,” Krueger said. “I feel like I will actually get to know students and see them through their time in LSJ. Being able to talk to students from day 1 when they declare their major all the way through graduation, and even after as alumni, is something I’m very excited about.”
Not only does Krueger bring with her experience in advising, but also a connection to the LSJ curriculum. Having taken a mixed-enrollment class of her own as an undergraduate at Oregon State University, and then working with re-entry education as a graduate student at Seattle University, Krueger is familiar with the impact of immersive LSJ experiences.
“I understand how transformative this experience can be for a lot of students who take the mixed enrollment course,” Krueger said. “In my own class, I remember walking out of the facility on my first night and realizing that half of my class will never walk out of these gates, and thinking about what that means. Having that context for what LSJ students are going through is incredibly helpful.”
Qanani Kalil- Academic Counselor
From Ethiopia to Kenya to Portland, Qanani Kalil has called several different places home. Now as one of the new advisors in the LSJ Department, she is happy to be a part of another community and to build a new home in LSJ.
Kalil’s interest in education began as an undergraduate student at Portland State University studying psychology. She then went on to graduate student at UW studying higher education, leadership, and student development. She began to work with the Pipeline Project, an educational outreach program, where she helped facilitate classes and seminars for undergraduate students. Upon graduation, she worked as a transfer adviser at Seattle Community College, solidifying her interest in working with students in advising.
“I just really want to be a mentor figure for students,” said Kalil. “For me, my advisers truly changed my life. I’m a first generation student, first in my family to not only graduate from high school, but also graduate from college, and my advisers really helped me through the whole process. I don’t think I would be here if I didn’t have that kind of mentorship and support in my undergrad. I just want to give back.”
In her first weeks, Kalil has loved meeting new students and has been grateful for the opportunity to use her passions to support students and the department.
“I’m passionate about social sciences and liberal arts education. It’s something that I really enjoyed in my undergraduate education,” said Kalil. “It’s just been the perfect fit, with the values of LSJ aligning so well with my own values. The environment, the culture, everything is just a good fit for me.”
Rachel Reichert- Administrator
A Seattle native and second generation UW alum, Rachel Reichert has always been passionate about addressing inequities in society. In her first job out of college, she worked in a warehouse where she became passionate about finance and helping people gain financial literacy. Since then, she gained an Masters of Arts in Public Policy, and worked in a variety of different positions within the university, dedicating her life in education to helping mend inequities.
Most recently, she worked in human resources in the Department of Psychiatry working with faculty to support those with significant mental health issues. Hoping to continue her focus on social justice, Reichert decided to apply for a position in LSJ.
“I saw LSJ as an opportunity to serve in an administration for a social justice minded unit and to go back to my roots in finance,” said Reichert. “I really thought I could use my skills to support faculty and help make a difference.”
While the new position has brought with it new challenges and changes, from working in the College of Arts & Sciences to focusing on undergraduate education, the support of LSJ faculty and staff has helped make the transition much smoother.
“Everyone is LSJ has been incredibly supportive,” said Reichert. “I think it’s a great group of people to work with. Everybody is really educated and extremely dedicated to educating students. It’s a good place to be.”