Staff Spotlight: Jessica Vasquez
As the Graduate College grows and expands its efforts to enrich the experiences of graduate students — we are excited to introduce our team members! Our fantastic staff are an integral component of our mission. From completing daily operations to investing in long-term projects and relationships — the ASU community would not be the same without them.
In this feature, we invite you to get to know Jessica Vasquez, the Graduate Support Coordinator for the Graduate Program Services team! She discusses her incredible 13-year career at ASU and what she does in her current role!
Name: Jessica Vasquez
Title: Graduate Support Coordinator
Dept: Graduate Program Services
Hello, my name is Jessica Vasquez! I’m from Los Angeles, California. However, I moved to Arizona in the Summer of 1999 – so I consider myself an official Arizonan. I worked for ASU as a student worker while I pursued my bachelor's degree in design studies from 2006-2010. After that, I rejoined my alma mater, working for University Housing and later, The Design School.
I was then given the opportunity to apply for the Graduate Coordinator position at the Graduate College to assist students with their studies. I fell in love with that role! In 2019, I decided to pursue a new position as a Graduate Support Coordinator at the Graduate College to extend my skills in assisting graduate students, staff and faculty concerning university policies and procedures in higher education. It has been an exciting journey and I’m proud to have been with ASU for about 13 years (I received my 10-year milestone during the 2020-2021 academic year).
In the Graduate Support Coordinator role, I help assist graduate students, staff and faculty through various operational procedures and policies, including review and approval of students' Interactive Plan of Study (iPOS), processing master’s in passing (MIP) and leave of absence (LOA) requests. I also communicate with internal units like Academic Affairs and our curriculum team to work on policy updates and deadlines. I enjoy working with departments outside of The Graduate College, such as the University Registrar's Office regarding student registration and the Graduate Admission Services concerning admission. These are just a few of my responsibilities that I have the pleasure of overseeing in my position!
Outside of work, I love to spend time with my family and husky and go on a weekend adventure or trips to California. In addition, I am an avid Disney fan, so I love planning trips to Disneyland! I also like to attend various classes at my local Pure Barre studio. I find it is a great way to de-stress and be mindful of self-care.