“We were living right next to Paradise, where the Paradise fire happened, our landlord wanted to sell the house so, [with my husband’s family here] this was just a safe landing place for us,” Bettis said.

Bettis previously taught in the political science department  at Chico State University. Unsure about what to do after leaving California, she said that a friend of hers, a faculty member at Western, encouraged her to look into administrative positions. 

“Once this position became available, I definitely pushed to get it because I was excited,” Bettis said.

Being a first-generation college student herself, Bettis knows first-hand the difficulties that come with attending a university 

“The teachers and administrators that I went through really helped illuminate that path for me,” Bettis said. “I think it just inspired me to do the same thing.” 

Helping students navigate university systems is just one of the goals Bettis has as a new member of the faculty. Bettis said she has a deep love and respect for research. As she advocates for students, Bettis also hope to share her love for academia.

“My whole goal is to help students in whatever way I can. That’s the reason I went into higher education and got my degree. I want to be an advocate on students behalf,” Bettis said.

Bettis’ goals going into her first year in the department are largely students focused. 

As she learns more about the department, Bettis said she is hoping to be able to make processes easier for students and faculty alike to navigate. 

“The things that I’ve begun to take note of are things that seem overly-complicated or are confusing to students. Paying attention to common questions that I get from students and trying to see if I have ways that I can address that for them, is probably the biggest goal for me right now,” Bettis said.

Bettis said so far, she loves the enthusiasm she sees in Western’s journalism students, remarking how many people had come by just to introduce themselves or say hello.

“From what I’ve seen… I think the department is paying attention to what students are getting out of the program. With any program you have to respond to that and be receptive to what students are looking for,” Bettis said.