Position: Student Life Instructor, Residential Coordinator for NCSSM Online, Student Services Specialist

Years at NCSSM: 2 years

Home: Now, NCSSM; from Ellerbe, NC

What she does outside of work: Burton and her boyfriend, Paul, spend lots of time together, reading, watching Sons of Anarchy, and going to the beach at Oak Island, where his family has a beach house.

Burton also volunteers with the Durham Crisis Response Center, where she volunteers as a hospital responder in cases of sexual or domestic assault. She also spends a lot of time working with sexual violence prevention and survivor advocacy causes like Take Back the Night. Burton is helping organize the Durham Take Back the Night on April 28, and just gave the keynote address at the Take Back the Night event at the UNC School of the Arts.

This summer, Burton will also be teaching a scholar development course for our online program and will be working with the Accelerator program. She advises the Student Government Association and HOSA (Health Occupations Students of America), and is after-prom coordinator.  

What coworkers may not know: She lived in North Dakota for two years. “Yes, people actually live there!” she laughs, and Burton was one of them while getting her master’s in higher education from the University of North Dakota.

Best part of her job: “My students. That’s such an easy answer,” she says. “They’re just very appreciative of what I do, and it’s fun to see the world through their perspective.”

Favorite perk of working at NCSSM: “Getting to live where I work.” Can’t beat that commute!

One thing about working here that she would do differently: “If it were up to me, I would have more staff interaction. I know everyone’s busy, but more opportunity to get to know one another.”