Member Spotlight: Grant Adams A New Home in Credential Evaluation -May 2018 Newsletter

Nearly twenty years ago I began working for Indiana University. In the hills of Morgan County there is an outdoor center called Bradford Woods. Through environmental education and team building programs, the staff of Indiana University’s Outdoor Center help Indiana’s youth gain a sense of place. Whether the place be a person’s natural environment or a group of their peers, understanding one’s connection to that place is integral to their growth.

My work at Bradford Woods was a foundational part of my life that allowed me to work in an industry that makes the world a better place. In time, work in the outdoor team building industry led me through Georgia where I built structures for team building courses, including climbing towers and zip lines. Next this led to work inspecting and repairing of these same structures as well as training and evaluating other professionals in their usage.

Knowing a good opportunity when I saw it, I jumped at the chance to take my outdoor skills to paradise. In 2008 I moved to Hawaii to work as the in-house zip line inspection and training coordinator for the newest extreme tourism attraction on the island of Maui. We had guests from all over the world riding our zip lines through the peaks of Mauna Kahalawai, from which you could see all of the way to the ocean and across to the island of Molokai, and on a clear day, to Oahu. As our visitors drank in their beautiful surroundings, my goal was to ensure their equipment and guides were in top condition.

Hawaii is indeed a paradise, but it isn’t home. In 2012 I returned to my roots to find my place in Indiana’s budding tourism industry. In 2013 I realized Indiana does not have a budding tourism industry.

With a metaphorical toolbox full of clothing for working outdoors and casting judgment, I began work as an insurance risk evaluator. This position took me to parts of southern Indiana which I’d never seen before to photograph the house exteriors for new home insurance customers. I braved many slippery rooftops and hidden canine sentries, but when it was made clear to me that my Monday-to-Friday would soon become a Sunday-to-Saturday, I realized where my wellbeing was on the company’s list of priorities. It was time to go, but where?

In the fall of 2015 I saw a listing for a position with Indiana University’s Office of International Services (OIS). Reflecting on my own international experiences professionally and in my personal life, I realized the profound effect they have had on me. Seeing the similarities and differences I share with people from other communities has helped refine my understanding of my own communities and my place within them. And here, through Indiana University and OIS I could offer the same experience to local students and students from around the world. I knew here was another opportunity to work in an industry that makes the world a better place, and I shouldn’t let it pass me by. I updated my resume and sent it in. A few short weeks later, the opportunity had passed me by.

I applied again in the winter of 2015 and again in the spring of 2016. In the spring my interview went better. They invited me in for a second interview. I smiled, I charmed, I mentioned that they had turned me down twice before and if they turn me away again, like a weed, I’ll just keep coming back. Maybe I wore them down, because they offered me the job.

There is a lot to learn when you begin a new career. Like, did you know an international student can transfer their SEVIS record without being a transfer student? Did you know earning straight Ds from the University of New South Wales would be a good thing? Did you know there’s a Batman University?

Over the past 2 years in my position evaluating academic records as an International Admissions Credentials Analyst, I have grown in my position. I’m confident with reviewing documents from most secondary education systems around the world. I’ve become a resource to my peers in the office when it comes to evaluating graduation documents from China. I’ve participated in hiring committees seeking to add new credentials analysts to our team. I’ve delivered professional presentations to in-house staff and at a state conference. I’ve also delivered training to colleagues new to our office. Still I felt disconnected.

We see a lot of international applicants to Indiana University; thousands per admission cycle. We are good at what we do and we do a lot of it. But what happens outside of these doors? How does what I do interact with what seems to be infinite moving parts around campus? And how does it compare and connect to my peers at other universities? How do I fit into my new professional ecosystem?

This past March I had the opportunity to attend and present at the AACRAO Annual Meeting in Orlando. I attended sessions covering education systems from Cuba to Canada, sessions on inter-University software platforms, and the philosophy behind grading scale design. I even got the opportunity to join a roundtable discussion with the leadership team for TAICEP. Following the conference my supervisor asked what did I learn? I struggled to answer. It all seemed like a blur, a puzzle I was still trying to fit together with so many pieces still missing. I know what I’ve gained though.

I don’t have all of the answers, but I’ve gained resources who can help me find answers. I’ve gained an awareness of other professionals facing the same questions I do every day. I’ve gained an appreciation for the ground I’ve covered so far in this field and a better idea about the path ahead. I’ve gained a sense of place.