Spotlight on CASL Staff Member Susie Gassel

March 21, 2022

Enjoy the following Q&A with Susie Gassel, Director, Office of Advising & Academic Success.

Name:  Susie Gassel
Position:  Academic Advising Director
Years at UM-Dearborn: 14

What does a typical workday look like for you? 

Whether I’m remote or in the office, my day is filled with emails, meetings, chats, and student appointments. When I’m remote, I’m often joined by cats and the occasional child.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

Before I was the director of CASL Advising, I was an academic advisor for many years. I love advising, and in this role, I still do some student advising; however, I’ve also been able to work more with faculty. I’m always happy when I can help someone understand university policy and the inner working of my corner of UM-Dearborn. Besides that, I would say that I most enjoy rewriting policies to make them more easily understood and better able to serve the needs of students and the university.

What was your first job?

My first job was at a Hallmark store. That lasted a month. I was not cut out for retail. I left that job for a teacher’s assistant position in a daycare. It was working with rising first and second graders during summer vacation. Education was a much better fit.

What do you do to relax?

I work a full-time job and have two young kids. I don’t have time to relax. I crash at the end of the day, and I watch whatever seems interesting on Netflix. However, when I can find an excuse, I like to craft using my Cricut cutting machine that I got at the beginning of the pandemic. I love to decorate shirts, and I’m hoping to have the time to try rolling paper flowers. It's a good combination of stressful and meditative.

If you could have any one skill or talent that you don’t already have, what would it be?

I wish I could dance. I’m one of the first people on a dance floor at a wedding, but I’m sure that I’m making an absolute fool of myself. I don’t let that stop me, though. It would just be nice if I could do more than the Cupid Shuffle with some level of competency.

What’s the proudest moment of your life?

It might sound silly, but the proudest moment of my life was when my son was chosen as student of the month in kindergarten. The theme of the month was reflection, and since I have spent my entire professional career trying to get students to reflect, I felt like I had definitely done something right with my kid.

If we were to create a UM-Dearborn playlist, what song would you want to include?

You probably shouldn’t include it in a playlist if you ever make one, but I would want "Sabotage" by the Beastie Boys. I play that song in the car on the way to work when I need to pump myself up for something, so it reminds me of UM-Dearborn. Alternatively, when I was a student here in the early 2000’s, I would play lots of *NSYNC on the way to class. You could pick any of their classics.

What’s one thing people would be surprised to know about you?

I’ve got an appointment on Mother’s Day this year to get a tattoo. I’ve always wanted one, and I’m finally going to do it.

What’s one thing you wish you had known when you were a teenager?

I wish I had known that I look better with long hair. Dang, what was I thinking?