Gail McNamee

Student

“I think college campuses are very positive situations.”

Changing careers can be traumatic, especially when it means leaving a secure job. But when Gail McNamee quit her position as trust officer at a bank, she knew her years in college would lead to an occupation where a different kind of “trust” is required. So with her heart firmly set on a career as educational counselor, she enrolled at SMC.

“Banking was very demanding,” Gail says, “but I wanted work that is more people-oriented.” And with that in mind, she took a part-time job at the SMC Women’s Center where she spends one day a week at the front desk. “The job fits well into my longterm goal,” Gail says. “As a counselor you have to work with people, and this was a good chance to get into that type of work.” Currently Gail is not directly involved with counseling, but she refers students who seek services to the Women’s Center staff.

“I work at the front desk, so I’m the first person they see,” she says. “And I try to present an attitude of concern that invites inquiries, however minor they may be.”

“There have been situations where the Women’s Center has really made a difference,” Gail says, recalling an incident when a teenage mother needed assistance to get into and stay in school. Center director Tina Feiger set all wheels in motion to make that possible.

Gail feels that there is “very caring interaction among the Women’s Center staff.” And she credits Tina Feiger’s “supportive attitude” for creating that atmosphere.

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