Erin McFeely, M. Ed., Recruiting Manager (She/Her/Hers)

Erin McFeely began working in higher education in 2007. Her professional background is in Admissions and as a Transfer credit & Graduation Evaluator in the Registrar’s Office. Erin began her work in the Office of Admissions at UW Bothell as a Senior Transfer Advisor for Pre-professional Pathways in 2019 and recently moved into a project appointment as Recruitment Manager for the School of Nursing and Health Studies. Erin is a first-generation college graduate and found a fit in advising Transfer students, many of whom have non-traditional backgrounds and routes to college. Every person is so unique, learning about other people’s lived experiences and educational journeys is fascinating and I’m continuously curious. Finding creative ways to support others is as rewarding as it is challenging.

The most meaningful part of the work in education is knowing that I’m helping people follow the quest for knowledge and identity, helping people find community. I grew up thinking I had to do everything on my own and that it was a competition. My time as a graduate student at UW Bothell in the Master of Education really taught me the value of collaboration, sharing ideas through connecting with others, centering the voices of BIPOC help us grow as learners and educators, and immersing myself in community.

In my time at UW Bothell I have been an active member of the Mental Health Learning Community where staff and faculty work together to destigmatize mental health and host behavioral health day every May. Mental health is something that we all need to talk about. It’s just as important as your physical health and there is so much that will be accomplished if we work together to normalize living with mental health issues and discussing the impacts that it has on all of our lives.

I also am part of the Community of Professional Advisors, we gather Advisors across the entire campus on a monthly basis. It has been a place of connection with a community of my peers, presentations on best practices, training and breaking into small discussion groups for reflection to process our feelings. All of these communities provided me with support during this pandemic, my partner was deployed with the military and while physically and emotionally I felt very isolated these communities gave me human connection. Remembering that we are all connected reminds me that every decision and every moment has meaning. One of the few things that I have control over is to be thoughtful of how I interact with others.