#PolicyProfile: Shannon Presha, Graduate Programs Finance and Operations Manager
Jun 30 2023
By
Brittany N. Murray
Source
Princeton School of Public and International Affairs
“Growing up, my best friend’s grandmother, Laura Wooten, worked at Princeton for a long time. I would often visit her in town, but I never thought that one day I might work here. Being on a college campus is just wonderful. I love to walk around the campus and look at the buildings. There’s nothing like a college campus; it's just a different experience. I started at SPIA in October 2022, and I really enjoy the people I've met here. Everyone is very welcoming and willing to help with any questions I ask. Most of my interaction with students is through email rather than face-to-face, but I do like being able to provide the students with any assistance. They’re always so appreciative and often follow up with emails to let me know how much of a difference those moments really make.
Before working in higher education, I started my career in social services. I spent seven years working with families involved in the Child Protective Services organization. That is very tough work to do, helping families who had their children removed from their care get to a point where they could have their children return."Shannon Presha, Graduate Programs Finance and Operations Manager
I made the transition into city government. I worked for the City of Trenton’s Department of Health and Human Services. I worked with one of the federal grants to help provide housing and supportive services for people experiencing homelessness. In that role, I started to dive into finances, working with the department’s accountant on some of their fiscal matters. From there, I started my time in higher education at The College of New Jersey as an assistant to the Dean of Science. While there, I completed their MBA program during the pandemic, and after graduating, I was looking for an opportunity to use those newfound skills. In 2021, I became a member of the National Black MBA Association, and then just recently, I joined the board of my chapter as the finance chair. I wouldn't have these opportunities working in any other industry. Higher ed has a lot of benefits for its employees that other places just don't have.”
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