UP CLOSE: Elizabeth Lombard—Associate Director for Diversity, Inclusion & Early Engagement, Chirico Career Center
I recently had the opportunity to chat with Liz Lombard, the Chirico Career Center’s Associate Director for Diversity, Inclusion & Early Engagement. I am really thrilled to have you meet Liz, a dear colleague, and a former student of mine in the graduate program in higher education. She is always so excited to talk about her work with students and the resources that the center provides.
Check out the Chirico Career Center website at: https://chirico-career-center.providence.edu/. I invite you to learn about their resources and share them with your students.
Jackie
Liz, can you tell us a little about yourself?
I grew up in Newport, RI and did my undergraduate work at Salve Regina University where I double-majored in Spanish and Elementary Education. I have a graduate degree from PC in higher education administration. I worked in Washington, DC, and New York City, before coming back to RI. I am currently in my 10th year at Providence College where I most recently served as Associate Director, Employer Relations. With the intentional work I have been doing with students of color, I received a new title in November as Associate Director for Diversity, Inclusion and Early Engagement, Chirico Career Center.
Please describe your current role.
I have THE best job on campus! Through my many touch points with students, I prepare students for lives of purpose and meaning. The sweet spot of this journey, both on campus and beyond the walls of campus, is assisting students in finding what truly matters to them in alignment with their values and beliefs. I coach and counsel students of color, underrepresented, and/or first generation students both individually and in groups on career development, job/internship search and graduate school application process. Working collaborating with campus partners, I create programs and resources that help support students to navigate life at PC and beyond. Through alumni involvement and employer engagement, I help students build their social capital (networks of relationships). In addition, I also coach and counsel alumni who seek advisement on switching jobs, changing careers and/or enrolling in graduate school.
What do you like most about your job?
THE STUDENTS! I absolutely LOVE the relationships that I have created/established with students. My life has been enriched because of those relationships.
What advice do you have for parents to help students make the most of their PC experience?
- Encourage your student to visit the Chirico Career Center, Slavin 108. We are an awesome team with incredible experience and willing to assist your student to navigate the PC experience.
- Emphasize the importance of internships. Relevant experience is critical in this competitive job market.
- Encourage extracurricular involvement. College life is enriched with outside the classroom experiences.
Anything else you would like to share about yourself?
I am a two-time cancer survivor or as I like to call myself—a THRIVER! I am grateful for God’s healing grace and mercy. When I am NOT working, I am searching for places to visit, playing ping pong, cooking, listening to my favorite jazz artists and reading. In every city where I have lived, I have formed book clubs called “Bonded by Words.” My favorite four-legged companion, Zoey has been part of my life for four years.
