Having worked for 17 years at Mitchell College in various roles, Kim Hodges ’03 recently returned to the school after a 10-year hiatus. Now the director of development, she is eager to do her part to help both her alma mater and its students flourish and thrive.
“I feel an affinity to Mitchell for helping me accomplish my educational goals, earning my bachelor’s degree in human development and family studies. More than that, I have seen students accomplish more than they ever thought possible. When I speak to someone that Mitchell has made a profound impact on or impacted their child, it makes me feel great. We each have a role in helping our students learn, grow and discover their bright futures and their best selves,” she said.
Kim was a non-traditional student who went back to school after her son was born.
“The family-owned business I had worked at since high school closed. I knew I wanted to go back to college, so I visited several in the area. None of the programs seemed to be a good fit for me. My best friend had attended Mitchell, loved it and thought it would be great for me. I saw that there was a part-time opening in the registrar’s office, so I applied for the job, started working at Mitchell and taking classes. My best friend was right. Mitchell was the perfect fit for me!” Kim said.
As a college student, Kim said she was an intelligent person but a non-confident learner, especially in the areas of math and writing. She credits her professors with changing that.
“Ann Keating, my statistics professor, took me to lunch and helped bolster my confidence. And the best academic day of my life was having Dr. Don Helms, my psychology professor, tell me I was a good writer. He also nurtured my desire to speak and encouraged me to attend the Connecticut Storytelling Conference at Connecticut College,” she said.
Kim said that after attending that conference, she became one of the storytellers at the Psychology Department’s Halloween Festival and also told stories at other events.
“I truly believe that without the support of the Mitchell community, I would not have had the courage to pursue something that has made such a positive impact on my life and has led me to meet people all over the United States,” she said.
In addition to using her newfound skills for the benefit of the Mitchell community, Kim has also presented and written professionally on topics related to both secondary and higher education, ranging from “Thirty Questions You Should Ask Before Sending Your LD Child to College” to “Preparing for College Through Military Service.”
Kim said, “Without the Mitchell faculty’s encouragement and support, I would not have had the courage to pitch stories to magazines or present at national and regional conferences. Not only did the faculty support me in these efforts, Kevin Mayne, my supervisor at the time, provided additional coaching and opportunities to grow in this area.”
