Emily First serves as the Assistant Dean of Students at Grand Valley State University and joined GVSU in the Fall of 2019. In her current role, Emily oversees the daily operations of the University CARE Team and outreach to students of concern. Emily leads a team from across the University in proactive outreach to students who may experience a variety of concerns, including but not limited to academic, financial, basic needs, physical and mental health, support when facing death of family members, campus climate concerns, concerns for well-being and disruptive behavior. Emily serves as a resource to students, faculty, staff, parents, and community members when they have concerns for a student’s overall well-being. Emily currently serves as a Faculty Member for the Higher Education Case Managers Association (HECMA) in which she collaboratively works to develop training and coach new Case Managers in Higher Education across the US and Canada. Before joining Grand Valley, Emily served as the Case Manager for Student Care and Outreach at Baylor University in Waco, Texas. She holds a Masters in Educational Psychology from Baylor University and a Bachelors in Psychology from Taylor University.