NACC main page | Vision main page | Vision archives | Submit an article | Contact | About Vision | Search
Vol. 22, No. 1
By Laurie Hansen Cardona, Vision editor
Lindsey Tews, who began working as NACC administrative specialist for certification in September, said she is pleased to have the opportunity to work in a Catholic environment that emphasizes positive personal growth and the value of individuals.
Ms. Tews, formerly Lindsey Smith who in January 2012 was wed to Mike Tews, came to the NACC with an extensive and varied educational and work background. In an interview, she noted that she was born and raised in Milwaukee, WI, where in 2003 she graduated from Pius XI High School. She started college studies at the University of Central Florida and finished her bachelor’s degree in history at Mount Mary College, Milwaukee. At Mount Mary she was a member of a social justice-focused group called Caroline Scholars, and she won the Mother Theresa Gerhardinger Award in 2005 for volunteer work related to social justice.
Ms. Tews earned a master’s degree in modern intellectual and cultural history at Drew University in Madison, NJ, and a master’s degree in English (specializing in writing) at Mount Mary College in 2011. She said she is interested in the history of thought and ideas, 20th century culture, and children’s literature, particularly where all three intersect.
Before joining the NACC, she was a full-time graduate student who moonlit as a college professor (teaching American government at Mount Mary College under the auspices of the history department) and as a switchboard operator. She also has worked with children in school settings as an enrichment instructor (teaching classes titled “I Dig Dinos!” and “Crime Scene Investigation,” among others) and as a paraprofessional educational assistant at River Trail Elementary School within the Milwaukee Public School system. She found that working as a work-study student during college gave her behind-the-scenes experiences at the colleges and universities that she attended.
In her new role in the NACC national office, Ms. Tews will help applicants through the process of becoming certified, assist the Certification Commission, and coordinate certification interviews, along with other duties.
She already has witnessed the full cycle of certification: applications, the review of binders, and certification interviews. “Everyone in the office has been so warm and welcoming, and I think I have joined a great team,” she said.
Ms. Tews said she is glad to have the chance to make herself an invaluable member of the NACC team. “The economic recession has been very difficult for my family,” she said, noting that various family members have lost their jobs and their homes, while others have become underemployed. “It is a wonderful feeling to have secured a position in a place where I know my talents are welcome. Thank you for all your support as I begin this new chapter in my life,” she said.
Printable version