Career Readiness staff members coach and equip students and recent graduates for lives of achievement and service. We value connectedness, individualized support, reflection, relationships, and a welcoming environment.

We assist in the process by helping students and recent graduates connect their strengths, interests, and career-readiness skills with knowledge about careers as they prepare for purposeful work. Our Career Readiness team is a member of the Liberal Arts Career Network. Sewanee is a member of the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) and abides by the principles for professional practice.

Kim Heitzenrater, Associate Dean for Career Readiness and Student Success

Kim was named associate dean in 2021 to lead Sewanee's vision and strategies to ensure career readiness, integrated career education, and holistic advising for all students. In addition to coaching individual students, she engages and collaborates with student leaders, faculty, advisors, staff, coaches, administrative leaders, parents, governing board members, and donors to create an equitable campus-wide culture of career-readiness. She served as Career Center director from 2004–2021. 

 

Kim graduated from Sewanee with a degree in Art History and received her master’s in organizational leadership and communication from Belmont University. She recently served on the board of the Liberal Arts Career Network, a national consortium of 40+ career centers at top liberal arts institutions, and she participated in the 2019 Mastermind cohort through the Career Leadership Collective. 

 

She and her husband, Jeff (Assistant Dean of Admission), have two sons: Andrew, C’20 (Psychology major and Sewanee men’s basketball team) and Larson, C’23 (Economics major) at Wofford College.

Brooke Harrington, Assistant Dean for Integrated Advising and Student Support

Brooke joined the Student Success team in 2022 with a passion to help students reach their full potential.  She collaborates with the Sewanee campus community to provide academic support, resources, and guidance for students so they may thrive in their college experience.  Brooke also works with incoming first year students in course selection and advising and partners with faculty who serve as pre-major, integrated advisors. Brooke has a M.Ed. in Higher Education Administration from Loyola University Chicago and a B.A. in English from Hillsdale College.  When not working, Brooke is often outdoors, exploring the area and spending time with her sweet rescue dog.

Cassie Meyer, Assistant Dean for Student Equity and Career Readiness

Cassie's work focuses on ensuring that all Sewanee students—particularly those from historically underrepresented backgrounds—are empowered to make the most of their Sewanee education, through coaching, career readiness support, and mentorship programming. Prior to this role, Cassie was the inaugural Director of Dialogue Across Difference Programs, where she equipped students, faculty, and staff with the skills to navigate difficult conversations. In both of these roles, Cassie finds meaning in helping students to explore questions of who they want to be in college and beyond.

 

Before coming to Sewanee, Cassie worked for over a decade at Interfaith Youth Core, equipping liberal arts colleges to be more inclusive of religiously diverse students. Cassie has an M.A. in American Religious History from the University of Chicago and a B.A. in Religious Studies from Lawrence University. She has taught at Northwestern University, Princeton Theological Seminary, and the University of Chicago and is a past contributing editor to NASPA's Journal of College and Character. Her recent publications include chapters in The Oxford Handbook on Religion and Peacebuilding, and Educating About Religious Diversity and Interfaith Engagement: A Handbook for Student Affairs.

Kate Reed, Director for Data and Operations

Kate coaches individual students and coordinates programming and support primarily for juniors, seniors, and recent Sewanee graduates focused on their first job searches and graduate school applications. Kate’s other projects as Director include the First Destination Survey and serving as a point of contact for technology vendors in our office.

 

Kate graduated from Sewanee with a B.A. in English & Economics and earned a M.Ed. in Higher Education Administration from Peabody College at Vanderbilt University. When not working, Kate is renovating a historic home in the downtown village and enjoys spending time with her dogs.

Shanna Abramson, Assistant Director for Employer Relations and Outreach

Shanna originally joined Career Readiness 12 years ago, only leaving to be at home with her boys. She returned in 2019, when they decided to move back to the area to be near family.  In her role as Assistant Director for Employer Relations and Outreach, she cultivates and maintains recruiting relationships with employers, alumni, and parents to expand the range of employment opportunities available to students. She holds a B.S. degree from Middle Tennessee State University in Industrial/Organizational Psychology.  She and her husband Josh (Project Manager in Facilities Management) have two boys and a sweet dog named Izzy.

Laura Sonderman, Assistant Director for Internships and Experiential Learning

Laura joined Career Readiness in 2022 to support Sewanee students seeking internships and to grow the experiential learning program. She loves to help students gain confidence in both their academic and professional lives and to help them develop their academic and professional narratives in speech and in writing. She earned a B.A. in English from University of West Georgia and an M.A. in English from Saint Louis University. Prior to moving to Sewanee, she worked as a Writing Center Director, ELL Program Coordinator, and English and ELL instructor at Marshall University. She also completed three years of a Ph.D. program in Comparative Literature at UNC–Chapel Hill. She and her husband Eric Smith (Sewanee Review) have one young son.

Sarah Hess, Student Success and Career Readiness Coach

Sarah joined the office as a Student Success and Career Readiness Coach in June 2022. She is most excited to meet and walk with students on their journey in Sewanee and as they prepare for life outside of the gates. Nothing makes Sarah happier than to hear students share their stories and connect them with people and the resources they need to grow, thrive, and find belonging. 

 

Before joining the office, Sarah received a B.A. in Religion from Sewanee: University of the South. Sarah recently received a Master of Divinity from the School of Theology at Sewanee. In between programs, Sarah served as an AmeriCorps VISTA for three years, where she took time to grow, learn, and find meaning and belonging for herself. When Sarah is not working, she enjoys spending time with family and friends.

Natychia Redmond, Student Success and Career Readiness Coach

Natychia joined the University in 2022 to serve as a Student Success and Career Readiness Coach. As an alumna of Sewanee, she returned to help students take advantage of educational and career opportunities and to assist students in attaining a meaningful and productive education while on the Domain. She is most passionate about building relationships with students and providing resources and strategies to ensure high quality academic, career, and success coaching.

 

Prior to this role, Natychia worked with high school students, especially seniors, as a mathematics teacher and volleyball coach. At the heart of her professional work has always been a desire to see students excel both inside and outside of the classroom and to utilize her position and influence to expose students from underrepresented populations to opportunities often unknown to them.  Natychia graduated from Sewanee with a degree in Mathematics and received her master’s in Interdisciplinary Studies: Mathematics and Curriculum and Instruction from Cambridge College.

 

Elizabeth Swallow, Student Success and Career Readiness Coach

Elizabeth joined the Sewanee community as a Student Success and Career Readiness Coach in 2022. She is excited about walking with students as they figure out their path while at Sewanee and beyond. She aims to provide space for students to reflect on their experiences and to empower them to discover their meaning and purpose.

 

Prior to Sewanee, Elizabeth received an Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and Biology from King University and a Ph.D. in Anatomy and Cell Biology from Indiana University. During her graduate studies, she helped create peer mentoring networks and was involved in re-imagining and developing policies and protocols to support the well-being and mental health of students and faculty alike. Elizabeth and her husband Shuler Hopkins (Visiting Assistant Professor of Mathematics at Sewanee) love spending time in their garden cultivating the space into an edible retreat full of fruits and vegetables.

Christie Wllkerson, Administrative Specialist

CJ joined the Career Readiness + Student Success office in 2021. She joined the University in 2019 in the Executive Office. Her work focuses on providing behind-the-scenes support and programming for the software that the team uses. She also helps manage students who are withdrawing or reinstating to the College. CJ earned a bachelor of science degree in psychology from Middle Tennessee State University. Outside of the office, CJ enjoys spending time with her husband and two children.

Laura L. Willis, Office & Events Coordinator

Laura joined the Career Readiness + Student Success office in 2024 as office and events coordinator for the staff. She helps students find their way to the right person in our office and organizes events across campus.  A longtime resident of Sewanee, Laura is a writer and editor who has held a number of positions across the community including co-publisher of the Sewanee Mountain Messenger and director of the Community Action Committee. She graduated from Baylor University and has done coursework at the School of Theology in Sewanee.  When she is not in Carnegie 115, she is often hiking on the Domain with her husband, John, or gardening at their home near campus.

Faculty Fellows for Purpose & Career

The Faculty Fellows for Purpose and Career partner with Career Readiness to provide leadership and create opportunities for engaging students in exploration of purpose and career. 

connect with us!

Carnegie Hall - CA 115
735 University Avenue, Sewanee TN 37383  

careers@sewanee.edu (931) 598-1121

Student Support
We are here for you!

The Career Readiness staff thrives on connection with and support of our students. We help students and recent graduates connect their strengths, interests, and career-readiness skills with knowledge about careers as they prepare for purposeful work. 

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Career Competencies
Eight Career Competencies

Experiences both within and outside the classroom contribute to preparing students for life after Sewanee. Through the development of career competencies and readiness, Sewanee students are ready to enter the workforce or graduate/professional school successfully. The National Association of Colleges and Employers has identified eight career competencies.

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