Career Services Center Staff
Carissa Bane, She/Her
Career Counselor
1st Generation Graduate
Carissa has supported student success on Western’s campus since
2013. She started at Western in the Academic Advising Center and
brings experience in connecting students with resources that will
help them succeed. Carissa’s priority is to hear the unique needs
of every student and encourage self-reflection and awareness as
part of the career development process. As a first generation
college student, Carissa recognizes that there are various social
and environmental factors that impact the major and career
decision making process and looks for opportunities to support
Western students as they navigate their time on campus and prepare
for life after college.
Proud to be from the great state of Iowa, Carissa has called
Bellingham home for the last 9 years. She is a graduate of
Colorado State University’s Counseling and Career Development
Master’s Program and is a Nationally Certified Counselor. Living
in Fort Collins, CO expanded her love of the outdoors, mountain
adventures, and live folk music, making Bellingham an ideal fit.
When Carissa is not at Western she enjoys spending time with
friends, volunteering in the community, and appreciating all of
the natural beauty and outdoor activities that this area has to
offer.
Sandy Brown
Career Counselor
Sandy came to Western with a varied and interesting career path
that enhances her experience and abilities as a career counselor.
In her twenties she worked primarily with animals as a Veterinary
Technician, Animal Control Officer, and 7 years working in Humane
Societies. Turning to working in social services she worked for 14
years in reproductive health and family planning as a counselor
and then working with the Displaced Homemaker's program through
Skagit Valley College as an instructor. After her daughter Piper
was in high school she went back to school and received her
Bachelor's degree in Human Services, then her Masters in
Rehabilitation Counseling, both programs here at Western (a double
alum!).
Britta Eschete
Administrative Assistant 2, Employer Services
WWU alumni ’98 Anthropology/Biology, Philip E. Sharpe Jr.
Community Engagement Award Recipient 2021
A native Washingtonian, Britta grew up in Bremerton, and has lived
in Skagit County since 2000. Britta has been an employee at
Western since 2011 and she loves being a part of Team Career
Services! Committed to expanding on the definition of “career
success,” Britta is fond of reading all WWU publications,
participating with Community Engagement Fellows, visiting campus
sites and places, and participating in a wide range of WWU
activities! As a “second career,” she is a dedicated volunteer +
board member in the theatre/arts community, agriculture, and
social justice spaces. When she has some unscheduled time Britta
enjoys zillions of interests which include gardening, eco-budget
travel, baking, board games, and explorations with her daughter
Noelle and two granddaughters.
What Britta does at WWU: Your contact for
information about career fairs, workshops, utilizing Handshake,
perusing the Career Closet, WWU Give Day (Career Services
participation) and building/facilitating connections between
students, alumni, employers, campus departments and the larger WWU
Community!
Diane Flores
Office Coordinator
Diane has worked in the Career Services Center in various support
positions for a number of years. Her favorite part of the job is
interacting with students and alumni while they are working
towards their career paths and seeing them succeed. She enjoys
supervising the CSC Peer Advising Team and when she is not
scheduling appointments for the career counselors and
pre-healthcare advisors or working on approving jobs and
internships in Handshake, she enjoys spending time with her family
and friends.
Mindy Pelton
Director
Mindy is no stranger to Western Washington University. She is a
double alum of WWU, with a BA in Cultural Anthropology and an MBA.
She then joined the staff of the MBA program in 2017 as the
Assistant Director of MBA Career Services, where she was a
one-person career center; counseling MBA students, delivering
career presentations, engaging with employers, and helping
students find jobs and internships.
Prior to working in higher education, Mindy had the opportunity to
live abroad for a year and teach English in South Korea. She also
has extensive business management experience, helping to launch
and manage two businesses in Bellingham: Perch & Play Café, an
indoor play area and café for families, and Tap Trail, a regional
craft beer media company. As Director, Mindy is
excited to use her career services and business management
experience to create more access to, and awareness of, the Career
Services Center so that all WWU students can explore and achieve
their post-graduation goals.
When she’s not on-campus, Mindy enjoys spending time with her
husband, two young children, and her wonderful Bellingham
community, and working on endless house improvement projects.
Abby Senuty,She/Her
Career Counselor
Originally from Bellingham, Abby traded the Moroccan heat for her hometown rain and moss in 2020. Prior to Western, she worked in a variety of settings as a mentor and advisor. As a Peace Corps Volunteer in Morocco, she co-led a life skills program and supported youth leadership opportunities. Her other professional experiences include facilitating resume and interview workshops for young professionals and advising high school students on pathways to college. Before becoming a career counselor, she worked with WWU students interested in joining the Peace Corps. She is committed to providing personalized advising and participating in campus partnerships that support student success.
When she’s not on campus, she spends her time reading, assessing how many more plants she can fit in her house, attempting new recipes, and exploring the San Juan Islands.
Anna Tognazzini, M.Ed.
Assistant Director
Health Professions and Graduate School Advising
A WWU alum herself (class of ’03), Anna joined the health
professions program advising team in 2015, returning to Bellingham
after twelve years away from the Pacific Northwest. After
completing her BA in political science, she moved to California,
where she worked for the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs at
the University of California, Riverside for six years before
heading to Williamsburg, VA for a taste of the east coast life. In
2014, she completed an M.Ed. in Higher Education Administration at
The College of William & Mary. When she wasn’t studying, she was
counseling and advising students at the Cohen Career Center, and
she also completed an internship at Oregon Health and Science
University in Portland, working with residents specializing in
anesthesiology. Life brought her back to the place where her
academic journey began, and now she is grateful for the
opportunity to serve Western students who are just getting started
on their own journeys. When not on campus, Anna is running around
with her husband and young daughter, wearing cardigans, drinking
coffee, and knitting (sometimes all at the same time).
Erika Wiescher
Health Professions and Graduate School Advisor
Erika is originally from Portland and moved to Bellingham 2 years
ago. She has served in many positions in higher education spanning
three different states, and also internationally to Germany. With
almost two decades of experience in education, she has worked with
students from all over the world and had the opportunity to travel
and live in a variety of countries in Europe and in Kenya. She has
assisted students as an Academic Advisor focusing on major
exploration and pre-professional advising, lead international
student groups in the U.S. and abroad, and advised graduate
students in TESOL and international development. As a
first-generation college student, Erika is excited to support WWU
students in actualizing their goals with medical or graduate
school and beyond. Erika speaks fluent German and enjoys traveling
to different countries, speaking other languages (or trying to!),
sipping tea, hiking with her two boys, baking all things
chocolate, tango dancing, and getting out into nature!