She Didn’t Choose the Advisor Life, The Advisor Life Chose Her: Profile of Jennifer Grover

An Air Force brat with a Bachelor of Arts in International and Area Studies from OU and a Master’s in Public Diplomacy from the University of Southern California, Jennifer Grover grew up on many of the same bases that military students pursuing OU’s Master of Arts in International Relations (MAIR) now call home. Today she relives her childhood memories as the new MAIR Associate Coordinator and Diplomacy Lab Liaison.

As an undergrad, Grover nurtured her love for travel, studying abroad in London before jetting off to Ukraine to teach English for two years. In 2014 she finally returned to Oklahoma, planting her career roots as a Study Abroad Advisor for OU’s College of International Studies – her former stomping grounds. “The transition seemed pretty seamless, as I already knew the atmosphere within the college from my time as a student here,” Grover said. “For me, traveling holds a great deal of value in all that can be learned from different people and experiences, and I wanted to share that with other students ready to see the world.” Grover now uses her skills and abilities to manage the MAIR program’s administrative duties, which include scheduling courses, recruiting professors and assisting with admissions processes. Additionally, she serves as OU’s primary contact between the Department of State (DoS) and 28 other universities participating in the Diplomacy Lab Program. This program allows students, working under the guidance of esteemed faculty and DoS officials, to explore real-world challenges identified by the Department and contribute to policy-making processes. “What interested me most about this job was the opportunity to work with adult students,” She said. “My father received his master’s degree in a similar way, so I have witnessed how programs like OU’s Outreach allow military employees to gain a degree and move forward in their career.” When she’s not working, you can find this globetrotter racking up her frequent flier miles on trips to the Golden State of California, the mountains of Colorado and even the diverse landscapes of El Salvador.

Just as members of the Armed Forces consider each other family, the same applies to the CIS family. With a great respect for both international education and all things military, Jennifer Grover is putting her degree to work helping others who also love international education. Keep up the great work!