Office Space: Ginger Alms

Ginger Alms, associate professor of English, reinvented herself before entering higher education. “Who doesn’t love a plot twist?” Alms said. 

Alms’ first career was as a crisis therapist. She worked on-call through the emergency room, on weekends and holidays, all while homeschooling her kids. "Yes, there was a lot of chaos and coffee,” Alms laughs.  

Once her children had started college, Alms decided to follow in their footsteps. She went to Northern Illinois University, earning a graduate degree in English Education. Since then, Alms has run a writer’s center, taught as an adjunct, and eventually landed a full-time position at ECC in 2016.  

“Now I get to talk about books, writing, and the Oxford comma for a living, and honestly, it’s the dream,” Alms said. 

Read a little more about this enthusiastic educator below!  

What is your favorite thing here and why? My photos. They make me happy, and they open the door to connect with my students. Several are from places I've traveled to, and they lead to conversations about studying abroad, a topic I'm passionate about. 

Where is your snack stash and what is your go to? I'm not telling, but my go to is a Payday candy bar. 

Do you listen to anything while you are working? Favorite music or podcasts?  I think I'm the odd man out, but no earbuds here. I like peace, and I need my full attention to listen to the students' voices in the essays I read, but I can get so absorbed in reading that I have to set an alarm to remind myself when it is time to go teach a class! 

What office supplies are you obsessed with? I love color-coded organization, so different colored Post-it notes, highlighter pens, and labels.  

What would your dream desk accessory be? An espresso machine!