Debra Koepp, who recently started her position as an admission/registration specialist at Eastern New Mexico University, helps process undergraduate applications, transcripts and test scores.
"I love working on university campuses! The environment is always so welcoming and interesting. There are always new things to learn and do which is exciting," she explained. "My co-workers here have been so helpful, friendly and encouraging, which makes all the difference."
"The campus is so pretty. I also love the school colors," she added.
Debra's goals for the position are to "learn Banner and get more comfortable navigating through the screens, learn more about ENMU as an institution and programs offered here and, on a personal level, to meet more people in Portales."
Her husband, Dr. Roy Koepp, will start his role as professor in the Department of History, Social Sciences and Religion this fall. "He was a visiting professor in the History Department at the University of Nebraska at Kearney and kept getting one-year contract extensions, but could not pass up an opportunity to be tenure-track here at ENMU," said Debra, who worked in UNK's Graduate Admissions Office for four years and was involved in the UNK Women's Club.
Debra was drawn to the admission/registration specialist position at ENMU because she wanted to work in a university setting again. "When Roy was offered his tenure-track position, and we knew we'd be moving to Portales, I was hopeful to find a job on campus since I enjoyed my time at UNK in Grad Admissions so very much," she explained. "It's a wonderful transition to be at ENMU in admissions."
When asked about her role models, Debra said she is "most influenced by genuine people—people who don't feel like they always have to sugar-coat everything but still look for the good in others/situations. I also love people with a good sense of humor. I have been blessed with fabulous family, friends and coworkers throughout my life and appreciate them all."
Debra grew up in rural Jesup, Iowa. Her father is a farmer like his father and grandfather, and her mother is a retired nurse. The admission/registration specialist has two sisters. They are 10 and 12 years older than her, and both are teachers in Iowa. She has four nephews and one niece; the oldest of them were born while she was in high school, so Debra "spent a great amount of time babysitting them. Now they are all adults, but we still enjoy spending time together."
She earned an Associate of Arts from Hawkeye Community College in Waterloo, Iowa, in 1996 and a Bachelor of Arts in Social Work from the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls in 1998.
Debra, who volunteered for the animal shelter in Kearney, has "one very spoiled black-and-white tabby cat named Luke."
She enjoys scrapbooking, card making, mixed-media crafts, reading, music, movies and traveling.
Her favorite travel destinations are Ireland and Germany. "I love Ireland! I visited there in May 2017, and I want to go back again. It was the most gorgeous place; it was so enchanting and had a real sense of magic in the landscape. My other favorite place is Germany, although it now has serious competition as my favorite European country after visiting Ireland."
