Connecting

Building community, developing partnerships, collaborating, reaching out, strengthening relationships...I love connecting with others and helping others get connected.

Cheerful Givers

My volunteer work as the Puget Sound Coordinator for Cheerful Givers has provided me with ample opportunities to connect. First, it's been a privilege to work with and learn from Karen - the energetic, giving, and appreciative president of Cheerful Givers. Second, I've enjoyed connecting with staff members in great agencies such as Hopelink and Metropolitan Development Council. Third, I enjoy connecting others with volunteer opportunities by participating in events like the Eastside Volunteer Fair and hosting large volunteer events for Washington residents. Finally, and most importantly, I love building a sense of community among friends and coworkers during our quarterly Birthday Bag Blitzes.

Campus Connections

The opportunity to build partnerships and help others build partnerships is a very fun part of my job as the coordinator of graduate student career programming at the University of Washington. I’ve had the good fortune to collaborate with colleagues in the Graduate School, Graduate & Professional Student Senate, Counseling Center, Alumni Association, Office of Postdoctoral Affairs, and various graduate departments. I've enjoyed working with my aforementioned colleagues to help grad students connect with alumni and employers through events like Career Symposia and Networking Socials. I also enjoy interacting with important populations off campus, such as employers and graduate-level alumni. At the risk of sounding cheesy, I truly believe that students are best served when professionals work together to brainstorm ideas and facilitate events.

Science & Practice

In psychology and other fields there is a gap between science and practice. In other words, much of the important research that is done by professors in academia never makes it into the hands of practitioners where it can be put to use. While I sometimes feel out of place, I enjoy connecting science with practice by being one of only a few practitioners at various conferences. I think it's important for career counselors to attend meetings, sit on committees, and engage in scholarly activities with professors and other researchers. Furthermore, I relish the opportunity to share what I learn at academic conferences with my colleagues and other practitioners.

Marriage

I love being married to my husband, Jon. Feeling connected in my marriage is very important to me so we try to work on our communication skills, appreciate each other, and spend quality time together. We don't always do a good job at the aforementioned activities, but we're human. We shared a car for 4 years - which was frustrating at times - but made us coordinate, communicate, and compromise and allowed us to spend a few extra minutes together in the morning and evening.

Briana Keller