Associate Dean Helps Students In Need
Amy Powell offers students academic and emotional support
Name: Amy PowellPosition: Associate dean of students/director of case management, Dean of Students officeYears at Duke: 11
What I do at Duke is: As case manager for the Dean of Students office, I follow students who are in need of extra academic or emotional support and require ongoing follow-up or need help connecting with other resources on campus.
If I had $5 million, I would: Go on a trip around the world. I'd love to go to Australia for the weather and the beaches. I think it's beautiful. I'd also like to go on a safari in Africa and travel all around Europe. I'd like to enjoy the good life for a while, but also give some money to charity.
My first ever job was: Hostess at a Steak and Ale restaurant in McClean, Va. It was a high school job I worked during the summer.
My dream job is: I'm in my dream job, I love what I do. I love working with students, learning from them and feeling like I make a difference, even if it's on a small scale.
The best advice I ever received was: Just taking one day at a time and not getting too worked up about things without really knowing what the future will be.
What I love about Duke is: My colleagues, because Student Affairs people are fun to work with. I also like the students because they're challenging. They're so brilliant and they challenge me intellectually and emotionally. It's fun interacting with them and keeps me excited about what I do. I really like the architecture around campus too.
When I'm not at work, I like to: I have a 2-year old and a 4-year old boys, and I love playing with them and just being a mom. We enjoy bike rides and exploring nature. It's great to see their curiosity and learning things.
If I could have one superpower, it would be: To cure disease. I used to work in Duke's Brain Tumor Center and seeing the devastation of families had a profound impact on me.
Something most people don't know about me is: I played the clarinet for a year in fifth grade. It didn't go well, which is why it was just a year. It was a hard instrument to play because it hurt my mouth.
An interesting day at work for me was: Almost every day is interesting and different. I was recently described by a coworker at the Student Health Center as the "master of unusual predicaments" because when something unusual comes up I can resolve it. There's a different answer to every question or puzzle and it requires lots of effort.