Balancing Art, Animals and a Career in Higher Education
Recruitment Coordinator Gabby Fuller is no stranger to the University of Virginia community. After gaining valuable experience in the Astronomy Department and Athletics Academic Affairs, they have brought their talents to the School of Continuing and Professional Studies to help guide the next generation of applicants.
Gabby offers a unique, relatable perspective to the role as they are currently balancing their professional duties with their own graduate studies in student affairs. In the following interview, Gabby discusses the intersection of art and higher education, life in Augusta County and the joy of volunteering with horses.
Give us a little overview of your background.
I am a Virginia native, and I attended UVA as an undergraduate (Class of ’19). I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in studio art and art history. Currently, I am a part-time graduate student at the UVA School of Education and Human Development. I will be earning my M.Ed. in higher education, and I’m focusing on student affairs practice.
I live in Augusta County with my spouse, Aspen, who also works at UVA in Facilities Management. We have one dog, Teddy, who frequently comes into the office with me. He also goes to classes with me! He and I will both be graduating in the summer of 2026. We also have a cat, Peko, whom we adopted this fall.
What do you like to do for fun?
In my free time, I love to make art. I like drawing, crocheting and other projects that pop up! I also like to play video games, watch anime and enjoy exploring Virginia towns I have yet to visit! I have recently gotten into horseback riding, and that has been all-consuming for me recently!
I volunteer at Hope’s Legacy Equine Rescue, where I feed and clean up after the horses. I hope to one day fulfill my childhood dream of owning my own horse, but we have a long way to go until then!
What has your career journey been like so far?
At UVA, I have previously worked as an academic mentor in the Athletics Academic Affairs office. From there, I worked as an administrative assistant for the Astronomy Department, where I worked for five years. In astronomy, in addition to my administrative tasks, I got to work on many different projects.
One of my favorites and the most unique was my role in organizing visits to the McCormick Observatory. We would host public nights on the first and third Fridays of each month and educational groups on the second and fourth Fridays of each month. I was responsible for coordinating the registrations for public nights and scheduling group visits. I used to have a key to the observatory on my key ring, which made me feel pretty special!
Talk about your role at School of Continuing and Professional Studies.
What attracted you to this position? What are you most excited about? Along with my colleague Sydney Thomas, I am a recruitment coordinator for the School. In short, I will be meeting with prospective students and discussing our various programs with them. I will also assist in running informational webinars about our different programs.
Right now, I’m still in the information-gathering phase. I’m really excited to dive in and meet with students. My classes in student affairs have gotten me excited about student support, and I’m very happy to be a part of such a great team!