Ms. Shana Snead, Executive Administrative Assistant
Ms. Shana Snead is an Executive Administrative Assistant in the college and a former member of the U.S. military, having served as an Administrative Specialist for an Army medical unit. After leaving the military, she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in business administration from Southern New Hampshire University and is grateful for the friend who urged her to advance her education.
Get acquainted with Shana and learn about her childhood interest in G.I. Joe and the impact that had on her adult life; the year that Santa Claus gave her a much-desired typewriter for Christmas; and the role models whose stories remind her to persevere.
- Question Where is your hometown? And what was it like growing up there?
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Answer
I was born and raised here in Columbus, Ohio, which was an “up and coming” city in the 70’s and 80’s when I was a kid. There were lots of things to do around the city so it was nice to explore with my family.
- Question What was your favorite TV show when you were young? What made it great for you?
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Answer
Anybody who knows me will tell you that the TV show “Dallas” was my favorite. I used to watch it with my grandmother and it was a bonding time for her and me. I’ve seen the entire TV series from start to finish more than 10 times throughout the years. Along the way, I created a dossier with deep dives into the characters, the house, the ranch, their cars, Ewing Oil, and every other tidbit about the show and the “made for TV” movies. Visiting the Southfork Ranch in Dallas where the TV show was filmed has always been on my bucket list, and I made it happen last year. That experience was EPIC!
- Question When you were young, what did you want to be when you grew up?
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Answer
I wanted to be G.I. Joe when I was a kid because my male cousins wouldn’t let me play with their G.I. Joe dolls. So I told them, “I’m going to be G.I. Joe when I grow up. Just watch!” They laughed at me, of course, because there weren’t many women in the military back then. But I did join the Army when I grew up – as soon as I graduated from high school. My Military Occupational Specialty or MOS was a 71 Lima, also known as an administrative specialist or “company clerk.” I provided administrative office support for my medical unit – like Radar O’Reilly on the TV show M.A.S.H., which became another favorite by the time I was an adult!
In addition to being G.I. Joe, I also wanted to work in an office when I was young, so I asked Santa Claus for a typewriter when I was seven years old – and I got one! I don’t know how, when, or where my parents found that typewriter, but it was under the tree – a red typewriter with white letters, and I used it to play “office” with my dolls and stuffed animals. I sat them all in a row, handed them my old school papers, and gave them work to do while I typed on my typewriter.
- Question When you were in high school, who was your role model/hero?
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Answer
My grandmother and great-grandmother were my role models. Their story of coming to Columbus, Ohio, from the South was a great history lesson. In 1946, it was a big deal for my great-grandmother, a widowed Black woman with kids, to leave the state of Georgia, go up North, and make it. Those stories of perseverance still remind me what I’m capable of.
- Question What was the best vacation you’ve ever had? And what made it special?
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Answer
Other than the trip to the Southfork Ranch, for the past four years I’ve traveled at least once a year with my girlfriends. We call ourselves the Golden Divas. We went to Cancún last year and stayed at a resort on the beach for rest and relaxation. We have a cruise to Jamaica planned this year.
- Question Of all the holidays we celebrate each year, which is your favorite and why?
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Answer
Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday because we cook the best and the most food – and all the family comes together!
- Question What’s a small thing someone did for you that made a big impact on your life?
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Answer
One small thing that had a big impact was when a dear friend came over to my house with a folder filled with pamphlets about careers that college prepares you for. He laid them out and asked me which one I thought he should do. I gave my opinion and then he casually said I should take a look at them and pick one that I wanted to do. I told him I was already doing what I love to do, but I went ahead and picked a pamphlet on business administration because it seemed as if it might help my professional projections. After I enrolled in business classes, he helped me study and motivated me to keep striving when I felt like giving up. I earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Southern New Hampshire University, and it has helped me progress in my career. I owe it all to him.