Chandler Stroup — Assistant Director of Campus Life
What does your job at APU entail?
I am the Assistant Director of Campus Life for Student Activities. I assist the Director of Campus Life with the Residence Halls by working alongside the Resident Assistants for programming for residents that live on-campus and by putting on campus wide events that all students, faculty, and staff are welcome to attend!
What are your goals for this school year?
My goal for the school year is to learn more about the students and staff at APU through campus programs that are available to everyone.
Where did you go to school? What did you study?
I went to Frostburg State University in Frostburg, Maryland for the Undergraduate and Graduate degrees. I have a Bachelor of Science in Geography with a concentration in Global Systems Analysis and a Master of Education in Interdisciplinary Studies with concentrations in Education and Geography.
What is your fondest memory from when you were in school?
My fondest memory from when I was a student was going to China and teaching English to elementary and high school students for a month.
When you were a college student, who was the most influential person in your life?
When I was a college student, the most influential person for me was LaToya Haynes. She was my supervisor when I was working for the school. I could go to her for anything work related or personal that would come up in my life and support me in all of my decisions. I still keep in touch with her to find out how she is doing and to get some advice on what I have going on in my life.
What do you do in your free time? What’s the last book you read, movie you watched?
During my free time I like to go for a run, binge watch a series on Netflix, go to the movies, or get outside and experience the adventures that Alaska has to offer. The last books I read were The Passage series by Justin Cronin. They are sci-fi novels about the end of world and the virus that is ravaging the human population. The last movie I watched was the new Power Rangers movie. I felt like I was reliving my childhood again while watching the movie!
What are you most excited about for this job?
I am most excited to meet all the students! I have heard amazing stories about most of the students and can’t wait to place faces with names.
Katherine Aldrich — Transfer Advisor
What does your job at APU entail?
I am the Transfer Advisor and I assist incoming APU transfer students with their first semester course registration while helping them to learn the ins and outs of the APU academic schedule and processes.
What are your goals for this school year?
This academic year is dedicated to helping transfer students become familiar with APU and being certain that the students know what resources they have and where they are located. I also hope to get to know the APU Faculty and their teaching styles.
Where did you go to school? What did you study?
I graduated from the Virginia Military Institute with a B.A. in Modern Language and Culture-Spanish.
What is your fondest memory from when you were in school?
My fondest memories all include my peers and the great times we shared both on and off campus. There were many places I was afforded the opportunity to explore because of my college friends. I would encourage new students to meet their peers and expect to form life-long friendships almost instantly.
When you were a college student, who was the most influential person in your life?
The most influential person to me while I was in college had to be my grandmother. She has always been my biggest fan and cheerleader. Her continued encouragement and the constant reminder of how proud she was/is of me definitely helped get me through the tough days.
What do you do in your free time? What’s the last book you read, movie you watched?
In my free time…wait, I am not sure I have free time anymore… I spend any “free time” I can find with my almost two year old daughter and three month old son if at all possible outdoors. The last book I read was “Two by Two” by Nicholas Sparks. The last movie I watched was Australia (an oldie but goodie).
What are you most excited about for this job?
I am most excited to be back in the education field and I love being able to work with folks who are taking the steps to achieve their dreams!
Rebekah Arnold — Student Success Specialist
What does you job at APU entail?
I am the Student Success Specialist, my role is to foster academic success and personal development of students who attend Alaska Pacific University by providing academic, cultural, and social support.
What are your goals for this school year?
I have a few goals for this school year:
– To create a social gathering place for students that becomes a home-away-from-home while attending APU.
– To create easily understandable scholarship and funding information document for students, with an emphasis on consolidating the tribal and Alaska Native Corporation scholarship information.
– To network with APU’s new partner ANTHC to create programs for students as well as opportunities for student success after graduation.
– To have fun, grow, and learn as much as I can.
Where did you go to school? What did you study?
I went to Fort Lewis College in Durango Colorado and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration, with a concentration in Business Management.
What is your fondest memory from when you were in school?
I loved the energy on campus: we were all so eager to learn, grow, share ideas, and explore.
When you were a college student, who was the most influential person in your life?
I was very fortunate to have had a lot of people providing various levels of support when I was a college student so I can think of a lot of names off hand; however, the most influential was my sister Melissa.
My sister gave me constant encouragement throughout the school year and a reason to check my mailbox: she mailed me flowers every year on my birthday, random mix CD’s, various cards, handwritten letters, and clippings from her school’s (Syracuse University) paper comics.
It was so nice to receive mail at the mailbox as a college student, being so far from home it was nice to physically have something in hand from someone who was thinking about you.
I think the best thing I got in the mail from her was her graduation announcement, it was encouraging knowing that I could also complete college.
What do you do in your free time? What’s the last book you read, movie you watched?
In my free time, my husband and I like to host dinner parties with friends, host board game nights, walk our dog, watch local live shows like Arctic Entries or local bands like the Black Water Rail Road Company and Super Saturated Sugar Strings, do weekend trips to different places around Alaska, hike different places around the Anchorage Bowl, go out camping- yurts, cabins, car camping, tent camping, biking; I guess you could say that I like to eat and explore in my free time.
The last book I read was Orange is the New Black: My Year in a Women’s Prison by Piper Kerman, and no I haven’t seen the TV series.
Just last night I watched Girls Trip in theaters with my girlfriends — it’s so funny!
What are you most excited about for this job?
I’m excited most about meeting the students, making connections, and seeing the students accomplish their goals this school year.
