By: Rachel Lieberman, HBHESA Co-chair

When I moved to Ann Arbor to attend the University of Michigan School of Public Health, I was a little nervous about beginning school. I had been out of school for five years and the last time I registered for classes, it involved turning in a hand-written form to the registrar, with whom I was on a first name basis. I arrived at the University of Michigan awed by its size and unsure about my transition back to academia. During the days of orientation I was overwhelmed with acronyms and bewildered by Wolverine Access (the online registration system). In the nights before school began, I had nightmares about biostatistics. In a daze, I somehow found my way to somewhere productive: Jackie Cormany’s office.

Jackie is the Student Administrative Coordinator for the department, and after just five minutes with her, I knew everything would be all right; however, that didn’t stop me from spending another fifty-five minutes in Jackie’s office, asking her almost every conceivable question about the department of Health Behavior and Health Education, the School of Public Health and Ann Arbor. With effortless patience, Jackie smiled and addressed each concern and question. She gave her time and attention so willingly; I would never have guessed that the beginning of the semester is one of the busiest times of the year for her.

Since then, I have visited Jackie’s office unannounced on many more occasions, thankfully in a less distressed state than that first time during orientation. As the co-chair for HBHESA, our department student association, I rely on Jackie for information and advice on a variety of topics related to our work. No matter how busy she might be, and she usually has quite a bit on her plate, Jackie makes me feel welcome in her office. The consensus among HBHE students is that she is an invaluable resource for us, someone we can count on for support and advice. We are comforted by Jackie’s presence in the department, aware that she is always looking out for us and available to help us with any academic challenges that might arise.

Jackie’s official title, Student Administrative Coordinator, while accurate, does not adequately describe the central role she plays in the lives of students in the department. Like many HBHE administrators, Jackie works behind the scenes to make our department run smoothly, and we do not take the time to acknowledge their contributions often enough. Jackie’s part in making our experience at University of Michigan a positive one cannot be overstated.  Her sense of humor, thoughtfulness, and dedication are not just noteworthy, they are article-worthy.