Vanessa Bush, M.Ed.
• Author, Relationship Builder, Lifelong Learner, Avid Traveler, Managing Perfectionist •

Education: Essential, Evolving, Extraordinary

 

As a child, I was always fascinated with the subject of knowledge. Always an inquisitive one, I came to view the institution we know as education as a necessary, challenging, and natural way of understanding and relating to the world around me. Growing up in an affluent community that prized knowledge and degrees definitely made a positive impact on my view of education and the important role it would play in my future. As I grew older, I realized that while many of my friends and family viewed education as an obligation, I viewed it as an essential, evolving, and extraordinary part of life. Even early on, I knew that somehow I would find myself working in this energizing and intriguing field.

 

As a Communication and Spanish major at the University of New Hampshire, I learned to reflect and reexamine my definitions of race, equality, and power, to be increasingly aware of my ‘blinders’ and preconceived notions, to question authority, to examine the underlying roots of research, and be open to alternative perspectives. My study abroad semester in Spain truly opened my eyes to different cultures, people, languages, and viewpoints, making me feel globally connected and self-aware. It also solidified my passion for travel and learning. As a Student Fellow for the College of Liberal Arts, I worked with faculty and staff on important university issues, gave presentations to prospective undergraduate students, and expanded my network. I was involved in numerous clubs, activities, and internships, always looking to quench my thirst for involvement opportunities. Above all, my undergraduate experiences made me realize that my lifelong mission was to create a lasting impression by affecting others with awareness, understanding, and possibility.

 

 

 

 

 

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After graduation, I secured a position as a Travel Consultant in an Educational Travel company. Up until this point, I had work experience in customer service and communications, which certainly helped me be successful. My four years working up from Tour Consultant to Team Leader to Assistant Sales Manager taught me that I was powerful, persuasive, dedicated, and a leader. In challenging economic times, I was able to meet my goals and expand my customer service, networking, and sales skills. When I finally entered the world of Higher Education at a for-profit college, these increased roles and newly acquired talents were instrumental in hitting Admissions targets and allowed me to gain additional responsibilities including managing events, giving presentations, and sitting in on important strategy meetings. Travel remained a key passion throughout, and led me to my next position as Assistant Director of Admissions at Boston Architectural College, where I was responsible for recruiting international students from around the world.  At Northeastern University, I held roles in Admissions and Enrollment Management, making strategic and informed decisions to optimize the enrollment funnel. Being creative, collaborative, analytical, and fast-moving were essential to staying on top of current trends and ideas while meeting targets and expectations. As an internationally renowned university, Northeastern had such a large reach of students, faculty, staff and other global players, so it was even more important for me to stay connected and engaged with everyone to better understand diverse viewpoints to help me gain further perspective and cultural awareness. 

 

Currently I work for an educational technology organization called PeopleGrove, where we aim to bridge the social capital gap and offer community and connections to students and alumni. Connectivity and belonging have been a common thread throughout my career, and I want others to be exposed to the same type of support, resources, and hope that I had during my educational career. My position as Customer Success Manager allows me to do just that, strategically working with our partner institutions to think big, bold and achieve their metrics. My ultimate goal is to create a lasting footprint by fostering a new wave of informed & connected global citizens.

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In September 2023, a lifelong passion project officially came true - I am a published author! A work of non-fiction, Embracing your Perfectionist Self is about learning to harness your natural traits and skills rather than shy away from them, and to learn how to embrace being good enough. Using each letter of the alphabet as my chapter guide, I explore various themes related to (or seemingly contrasting with) perfectionism - e.g. A is for Ambition, F is for Failure, V is for Vulnerability, etc. Rooted in personal stories, interviews with others, and a dash of research, my hope for this book is to help others grow, accept their flaws as part of what makes them strong, and learn to go easy on ourselves. My mission is to make others who are struggling to feel more comfortable, heard, accepted, loved, and worthy.

 

I believe that perseverance, dedication, respect, broadmindedness and having a personal passion for your work are fundamental in producing quality professional work with personal integrity. When you connect your own particular interests with your professional goals, you become a stronger, vibrant, and more competent worker. As Aristotle so famously said, “The energy of the mind is the essence of life.” Knowledge plus passion equals a true recipe for success.