Staff Spotlight: Kristin Joseph

This month’s staff member in the spotlight is Kristin Joseph from OVPUE Communications and Marketing. We asked her a series of questions, and here’s what she had to say (responses may have been edited for concision and clarity):

1.) What is your name and what do you do; how long have you worked here in OVPUE?

I’m Kristin; I’m the Communications and Marketing Specialist for OVPUE. I’m brand new to OVPUE! I’ve been in this role since early April. Before this change, I worked in the College of Arts and Sciences and have been at IU nearly three years.

2.) What three traits define you?

I would say:

1) Inquisitive: I often feel like there’s not enough time to learn all of the interesting things that are out there.

2) Adaptive: I’ve lived in six different states from Colorado to Florida.

3) Adventurous: I love to travel and once backpacked Europe for three weeks.

3.) What would you do (for a career) if you weren’t doing this?

I think I’d either be a lawyer (analytic) or a full-time artist of some kind (creative). Marketing and communications allow me to use both of those sides of myself. I could also see myself as a social psychologist doing research.

4.) If you could learn to do anything, what would it be?

I really love music – I think I’d want to learn to be a drummer!

5.) What challenging thing has happened (to) for you, and what did you gain from it?

Before I moved to Bloomington, I was on a bit of a different life path and came to a point where I had to choose to live by my values or compromise them in order to fit in. It was a difficult road for a while, but I chose to stand by my values. I learned that the relationships that matter will allow me to be who I really am and stand for what I believe is right.

6.) How do you define success?

I love this question because I think it’s important to think about. I define success as having healthy, authentic relationships and using whatever I have (time, resources, or talents) to help make my community and the world more loving and just.

7.) What do you do in your spare time?

I’m a Big Sister with Big Brothers Big Sisters of South Central Indiana, so I meet with my Little every week. I was matched almost two years ago; feel free to ask me about it if you’ve considered being a Big! Aside from that I love to hike, go to concerts, or do creative projects like photography or watercolor painting.

8.) What’s the coolest (or most important) trend you see today?

I’m very encouraged by the trends of mindfulness and mental/emotional wellness that I see becoming mainstream. Speaking generally, I think today’s younger generations will have a high level of emotional intelligence and experience less stigma than their parents or grandparents might have.

9.) What is your favorite thing about working at OVPUE?

I feel so fortunate to be in OVPUE and on the IT team. I love the proactive problem-solving and collaborative culture that I’ve experienced so far. I also love getting to be a part of so many different initiatives that are committed to excellence and equity for Hoosier students.