Helping Public Administration Students Blossom, One Puzzle at a Time

Jacque Waleski, DMs, is Academic Services Coordinator for the School of Public Administration. She supports her students in all aspects of their academic careers, from their first inquiry about a program, through application, initial and continuing registration, through course work, and right up to and after graduation. In a support role to the School, Dr. Waleski also provides reports and statistics that track student activity and graduation, reviews and makes recommendations for policy changes, and more.

She notes the “puzzles” that come with the position are the best parts of her job. She loves the research involved with learning a new process to resolve an issue. What Dr. Waleski finds most rewarding about her job is seeing students succeed: “What is extremely cool is to see that student who may not have a whole lot of self-confidence at the beginning of his/her academic career, who then finds the ‘inner-knowing’ that he/she is an exceptional being!” she says. “One can almost see that student grow wings and take off flying… Seeing that progress is such an awesome feeling!”

Dr. Waleski, who won the 2010 COHPA Employee of the Year, earned her BA in Psychology from San Diego State University, her MA in Human Behavior and Counseling from National University, and her DMs in Metaphysical Sciences from the University of Metaphysical Sciences in Arcata, California.

“There are so many things that I like [about UCF],” Dr. Waleski shares. “There are the students, the work camaraderie, the pride I feel when I tell others I work at UCF and they get that ‘wow’ look in their eyes, and the pride of supporting and being a part of all that the School of Public Administration has accomplished in the last few years.”