The Dearborn Icebreaker is a new Reporter feature designed to help us get to know our UM-Dearborn colleagues.
Name: Nechole Drake-McClendon
Position: Research Assistant, Integrated Learning and Community Partnership Office (ILCPO)
Years at UM-Dearborn: 1.5 years
What does a typical workday look like for you?
PLEASANT! I love arriving onto the UM-Dearborn’s Campus. It makes me smile! I feel very fortunate to have had an opportunity to contribute in the Integrated Learning and Community Partnership Office launch. Associate Provost Ismael Ahmed is quietly a fierce leader, willing to share his knowledge with others. Being a part of the ILCPO, Research Assistant Team, I am grateful to be a benefactor of this knowledge.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
I enjoy working with faculty and staff, and our strategic partner, Southwest Solutions. Assisting faculty members to bring their ideas to life by collaborating with the community is refreshing. To witness the power of this higher education institution, in alliance with the regions’ community partners, support the non-profit organizations within the parameters of their mission, is incredible.
What was your first job?
At 12, I was a cashier/stock clerk at my uncle’s corner store, L & S Handy Corner, in Grand Rapids, Mich.
What’s one thing people would be surprised to know about you?
I love to roller skate! I’ve been roller skating since I was 5.
What do you do to relax?
I relax during the holidays with family. I get to really unwind and re-tune my brain, curl up with a great book or just sleep. Thanksgiving, Christmas and July 4th, our family is guaranteed to all be together.
What’s your definition of a life well lived?
A life well lived is one that includes faith, family, friends and integrity. Community service is a must.
What’s the proudest moment of your life?
June 20, 2001 – The day my son Knicolas was born.
If we were to create a UM-Dearborn playlist, what song would you want to include?
Stay With Me by DeBarge and Never Would Have Made It by Marvin Sapp. Classic hits by artists of my hometown, Grand Rapids, Mich. Got to support them!
If someone handed you a $100 bill, what would you do with it?
I’d get a manicure, pedicure and my eyebrows threaded – a pamper-me day for $50 bucks, including tips! The other $50 would be donated to Gilda’s Club of Metro Detroit to add to their slush fund.
What advice would you give to this year’s graduating class?
Don’t be afraid to take chances and listen to your inner voice. I did. I had a wonderful career as a non-profit community leader and in K-12 for several years. Then I decided to focus on returning to school to earn another graduate degree. I took a leap of faith, left my comfy position to volunteer for two years here at the University of Michigan-Dearborn, receiving only a modest stipend. This has been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.
I would also say to the graduates: By earning a degree from this prestigious institution, you already have options of being creative with your career decisions. Take advantage of this opportunity, enjoy life and have fun!
