Jodi Anderson, the UCLA graduate student in education selected
to serve as student regent in 2004-2005, has a reputation as a hard
worker, but she says she was not always highly involved in campus
life.
“I doubt that very many of my high school teachers even
remember who I am,” she said.
Anderson, who attended Clovis West High School in Fresno, said
she was “definitely not much of a standout” in high
school.
Even so, Anderson emerged from high school as the first member
of her family to go to college. Growing up with her mother and
stepfather, Anderson said her mother always wanted her to get a
college degree.
“My mom always regretted not going to college, and growing
up, it was kind of like, “˜You’re going to
college,'” Anderson recalled.
At UC Santa Barbara, Anderson ““ who graduated with a
bachelor of arts degree in 1994 ““ resided for all four years
in the campus community of Isla Vista, notorious as a haven for
those who party hard and graduate late.
Anderson’s record, however, suggests Isla Vista’s
reputation is just another untrue stereotype. While a UCSB student,
Anderson took a job on the campus’ orientation staff, an
experience she credits with sparking her interest in student
affairs.
“That was really pivotal for me,’ she said.
Her former employer, UCSB Associate Dean of Students Debbie
Fleming, remembered Anderson as one her most dedicated
employees.
“She really has an exceptional work ethic. … I
don’t know anyone who works harder than she does,”
Fleming said.
Anderson says her work in the University of California’s
Washington, D.C. program further piqued her interest in student
programs. At an internship at the Points of Light Foundation,
Anderson became interested in service learning, an educational
method that incorporates community service into coursework.
The day Anderson’s nomination was announced, UC Student
Association Chairman Stephen Klass, who reviewed candidates before
they were reviewed by the UC Board of Regents, highlighted
Anderson’s extensive experience with student issues.
“Her really strong point is her background in
understanding education … all aspects of it,” Klass
said.
Though studying and working in education have occupied much of
Anderson’s adult life, she’s more than just a graduate
student.
In 1994, she lived with a family in Mexico while studying
abroad, becoming fairly fluent in Spanish after two months.
She also enjoys visiting art museums, watching movies and hiking
around Temescal Canyon near the Pacific Palisades.
“She has a great sense of humor. … She takes things
seriously when they need to be taken seriously, but she also likes
to laugh,” Fleming said.