FAST FIVE: Dana Parsons welcomes you to higher education

Meet Dana Parsons, the Coeur d’Alene enrollment specialist for Lewis-Clark State College.

A native of southeastern Ohio, she graduated from Muskingum University in 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. Dana and her husband owned a computer repair shop in her college town for two years, but when the COVID-19 pandemic struck, they decided to pack up and move to Coeur d’Alene in September of 2020 to be closer to her sister, brother-in-law and young nephew. After a brief stint taking classes at North Idaho College and getting involved in the NIC student newspaper, the Sentinel, she began working at LC State in December of 2021. Through her experiences at Muskingum University being heavily involved in the radio station, newspaper as editor-in-chief and videographer for the TV station and her time in the Sentinel, Dana decided that her goal is to earn her master’s in communication to teach media at the higher education level. When she isn’t at work helping students get started with their degrees or working on homework for her graduate classes, she enjoys PC gaming, digital art, painting and spending time with her best friend/husband.

1) What is one of your favorite college memories?

My first year of college was spent commuting. Muskingum University was about 10-15 minutes from my home, so my mother would drive me into class at 7:30 a.m. and my father would pick me up after work, around 6 p.m. I couldn’t afford to take the driver’s test in high school and had a lot of anxiety about test taking, so I wasn’t able to drive myself. This led to a lot of isolation. I spent hours in the library, doing homework and nothing else. My husband (boyfriend at the time) was incredible and kept me company when he could. As a last-ditch effort to make friends, I joined my college radio station as a DJ, even though my major was criminal justice. I became close friends with my trainer and one night after a training session, she asked if I wanted to go grab food and hang out with her and another radio DJ. I was so excited that I frantically called my dad and told him, “Don’t come and get me yet, because I might have made a friend.” Having that initial connection with someone was so exciting. Those two became my dearest friends in college and my second and third year was spent living with them on campus.

2) What do you enjoy about introducing people to LCSC and helping them become a part of the Warrior family?

I love working with students who might feel like college is not for them or that a degree will take too long or be too expensive. I believe that college should be accessible for anyone who wants to earn their degree. Often, prospective students will chat with me and hold so much doubt about their abilities and potential success in a college setting. I love getting to show students from all walks of life, ages, and demographics that earning your college degree is not unattainable! I love being a support system for students and showing them that the Warrior family is there to support them in every aspect of life, not just in their education.

3) Why is higher education important for an individual and for society as a whole?

Higher education is such a valuable asset to society, not only for the most common concept that college is how you get a job (even though that is VERY important) but it allows an individual to grow in a setting that cultivates that growth. For me, I was an extremely shy and anxious kid. I would have panic attacks if I had to talk to anyone, even people I knew. As I went through college, joining student media, a sorority and being forced to come out of my shell allowed me to grow into a better person and explore new avenues I never thought possible. That’s what college is. That is the value to higher education for the individual. Learning how to critically think, express ideas and explain them, understand basic research methods, gain leadership skills and express empathy are all incredibly important, and are all things that higher education can help cultivate. It can open doors for an individual in their personal, academic and occupational lives. Those who have earned their degrees are more likely to be involved in their community, participate in civic engagement and make a higher income on average. I might be biased, but to me, higher education is one of the most crucial institutions in our society.

4) What is something people would be surprised to know about you?

I’m a huge nerd! I love PC gaming and I actually built my custom pink PC myself. Some of my favorite games are "Minecraft," "Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim," "Left 4 Dead," "The Sims" and "Animal Crossing." I’ve been a fan of "Lord of the Rings," "Harry Potter" and comic books my whole life. When I began dating my nerd husband, he introduced me to anime, to add to my list of nerdy interests. I enjoy a wide variety of anime, but I especially enjoy anything from Studio Ghibli, with my favorite being "Kiki’s Delivery Service." I also nerd out over art supplies as an artist and if you ever see me in an art supply store, I’m probably ogling the fine-line felt markers or vibrant colored ink.

5) What are a few key pieces of advice you give to students who are new, nervous or otherwise anxious about starting/returning to a college life?

My biggest piece of advice is to not give up if college is your goal. My family didn’t have the finances to send me to college and in my senior year of high school, I was seriously doubting my ability to attend college. Through scholarships and the Pell Grant, I was able to go to a four-year university with little debt. I am so thankful that I never gave up. College has opened more doors for me than anything else.

Another piece of advice is to embrace change. Change is terrifying, I understand that thought intimately. If didn’t embrace change, I wouldn’t have joined college radio and met incredible people and gained incredible skills. If I didn’t embrace change, I wouldn’t have closed my business and drove 2,100 miles to Idaho to start a new life and eventually be in my current role. Change is tough and scary, but I guarantee you that the sweet outcome of change is better than staying in place because of fear.

Lastly, utilize your resources! We as college representatives are here for you! Colleges across the board offer a wide variety of resources just for students! Even if you don’t know what you need, you can always reach out to us and we can help you get what you’re looking for. You are NEVER alone in the college process, whether you’re looking to enroll, just starting out, in the middle of your degree or close to graduation.