Nicole Roger
Program Director
"Be Curious, Not Judgmental." -Ted Lasso
With eight years of experience in higher education, including seven years overseeing key programs within the Student Engagement department, I’ve had the privilege of contributing to initiatives like Transfer Connection, Tech Leadership Institute, Hub City Fest, and Raider Roundup. As the Mentor Tech Program Director, I’m deeply committed to fostering a collaborative and supportive environment where both my team and our students can thrive.
My work centers on mentorship and student leadership development. I partner closely with my team to establish a shared vision, ensuring that we’re aligned in our goals and working together to create meaningful experiences for our students. I believe in providing the guidance and support needed to empower my staff, while staying focused on creating a culture of growth, learning, and positive change within our program and the broader community.
I earned my undergraduate degree in agricultural communications from Texas Tech University, where I also worked as a Transfer Ambassador and Social Media Intern for Student Engagement. After graduating, I served as a Transfer Admissions Counselor in the Houston area with Undergraduate Admissions. My time as a student leader at Texas Tech, combined with my understanding of the full admissions-to-graduation process, has been instrumental in shaping my approach to higher education and student development.
When I’m not working, I enjoy exploring Lubbock, taking on DIY home projects, and spending time outdoors with my husband and our three dogs. I love checking out live music at Cooks Garage on Thursday nights, hanging out on the water at Buffalo Springs Lake, and sampling new restaurants and food trucks around town.
Ask me about:
The most inspiring part of my job.
The most inspiring part of my job is watching my staff grow, learn, and develop in their roles. I find great joy in seeing them not only expand their own knowledge and experience but also invest in and mentor the student leaders who work with us. It’s incredibly rewarding to witness these student leaders take what they’ve learned and pay it forward, guiding and supporting their peers in turn. This cycle of growth, mentorship, and leadership is truly what makes this work so fulfilling.
What advice I would give a candidate who wants to join our team of superstars.
Don't be afraid to bring your personality to an interview with us. We have a lot of fun in this department and while we want a candidate to be experienced, professional and put together, we also want to see that we can laugh in the hallway with you and joke about programming ideas that are a flop. In this department we laugh, fail, succeed, learn and grow together.
Who I would swap places with for a day.
I have no specific person in mind, but I would trade places with a travel blogger. The idea of being paid to travel to amazing places, eat delicious food, try new activities, take cool photos and write about the experience sounds like a dream.
My favorite TTU story.
My favorite TTU moment happened at the 2018 Transfer Leadership Connection retreat when I joined the students in free time and face planted in the lake off the retreat centers blob. Just my luck, our departments graduate assistant got the whole thing on camera. During the bus ride home from the retreat, I gained cellular service and texts began buzzing in from the staff group text. Come to find out, after the incident, our graduate assistant hiked to the top of the hill, got cell service and sent my epic face planting video to the group chat. My supervisor shared that she had watched the video on a loop and sent a paused screen shot of my body flailing in the air. I will never live it down.
