Dana Keep is the Center for Work and Services’ newest counselor. She is excited to be at Wellesley helping students with their career search and interview preparation. Dana is available to advise students during drop-ins and counselor appointments.
Originally from Rochester, NY, Dana went to Middlebury College in Vermont where she majored in History and studied abroad in Madrid. Her first job after college was writing biographic profiles of foreign leaders for the U.S. government in preparation for meetings. In hindsight, it was a clear sign that she was interested in people’s career paths and stories! Since then, she ‘s lived in Washington D.C. and Boston. She worked at Harvard University for 5 years and found that helping students and alumni at different points in their careers was a highlight of her job.
A valuable piece of career advice Dana has learned is to figure out what you love to do and where your strengths lie. However, your interest and skills can evolve over time, so it’s important to keep that in mind as you plan for your future.
Dana has two sons—one just started middle school and the other just started high school—and in her space time, she likes to watch them play soccer and baseball. As a family, they enjoy skiing, biking, and tennis. She loves to read, and volunteers at both a local library and her children’s schools.
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Erika Fields is the new Web Content Communications Director at the Center for Work and Service. Her primary role in the CWS will be to manage the CWS website, social media and event publicity.
After graduating from Simmons College as a communications major, she worked in the Brandeis International Business School’s Development & External Affairs office, focusing on fundraising and external communications to alumni, donors and students. From there, she transitioned to corporate marketing at a national media organization.
A valuable piece of career advice Erika wants to offer is that college is a great time to explore the many industries that you might want to work in. When going about your career search, think about a) what size company you want to work for, and b) what type of position you want to be in. Not every job will be perfect or what you expected, but all jobs can be molded into valuable learning experiences.
In her spare time, Erika loves to travel. She studied abroad in South Africa in 2007 and has a goal to travel to one new place every year. She also loves to read, especially about different countries and cultures, and volunteers with a number of non-profit organizations.
Be sure to stop by the CWS to meet Dana and Erika as we welcome them both to Wellesley!