Meet Jenae!

Meet the PCA’s new survivor advocate, Jenae (she/they)! 

Learn more about what being a survivor advocate means to them, how many times they have seen their favorite band in concert, and hear their answer to the age-old question: Is the Nightmare Before Christmas a Halloween or Christmas movie?

If you are in crisis and need immediate support, please call our 24/7 interpersonal violence helpline at 303-556-2255.

Request an Appointment with an Advocate at
https://www.thepca.org/online-appointment-request

Request a Violence Prevention Presentation at
https://www.thepca.org/prevention-education

Instagram @phoenixauraria

Transcript

Meet Jenae!

Tue, Jan 17, 2023 8:21AM • 18:03

SUMMARY KEYWORDS

question, campus, hear, survivor, phoenix, desserts, interned, love, office, folks, excited, navigate, center, listeners, favorite, msu denver, interpersonal violence, learning, big, violence prevention

SPEAKERS

Racheal Reed-Maloney, Jenae McCall

Racheal Reed-Maloney  00:00

Happy 2023 Everyone and welcome to the Phoenix cast I hope you are all feeling energized and ready for the spring semester. We're looking forward to seeing everyone's lovely faces. I'm your host today, Rachael Ray bologna. And we have a really exciting announcement to share with you all. We recently hired a full time survivor advocate to help us continue to provide holistic support for survivors on every campus. So welcome Janae to the Phoenix Center. We're really happy to have you here. 

Jenae McCall  00:43

Thank you so much. I'm really excited to be here.

Racheal Reed-Maloney  00:45

So, and listeners, similar to other podcasts we've had over introducing new folks, I'm going to be asking Jenae some questions about themselves so that you all can also get to know them better. And Jenae. if I seem a little nervous, it's because our Violence Prevention Educator, Carolyne, is normally the one who does these podcast episodes. So there's a very high bar for me to meet Carolyne's great. So you know I want to make sure I do a good job and represent for her and I don't want to disappoint our listeners as well.

Jenae McCall  01:14

 I think you're gonna do great today, Racheal. I'm excited. 

Racheal Reed-Maloney  01:17

I apperciate the confidence! You're wonderful! So with that, let's get started Jenae. Can you share a little bit more about yourself your educational background career background? 

Jenae McCall  01:28

Yeah, sure. So I'm actually kind of like an honorary Auraria campus education lifer. I came to school in 2015. To do my bachelor's degree, ended up finishing in spring of 2020. So you know, good pandemic times. My bachelor's degree is in Human Services with a concentration in Mental Health Counseling. I got that at MSU, Denver, and then decided to continue my education here because I love Auaria campus. So I'm working on my Masters of Social Work at MSU Denver right now too .

Racheal Reed-Maloney  02:00

Awesome, what have you been enjoying about getting your master's degree so far? I'm sure there are folks on here who are interested in doing that - And maybe with MSU Denver, have curiosities about what you like about the program. 

Jenae McCall  02:10

Yeah, I would say mostly just getting to know, like your cohort and really engaging with that piece has been really great. I know, Metro has some really cool programming that they're working on in the background for the Social Work program. And there's just some cool stuff happening over there. Yeah, and a lot of support for non traditional students, which is something really appreciated, so.  Definitely. And rumor has it that you are not really new to the Phoenix Center that you have interned here in the past. Are you comfortable talking more with us about that? Yeah, absolutely. So part of my journey, while being honorary of campus has included like holding a lot of student positions, internships, professional positions, on this campus, so that has included doing violence prevention education as an intern for my undergrad. And then I actually moved into an advocacy internship after so we kind of maxed out all my options here at the Phoenix Center. 

Racheal Reed-Maloney  03:05

Yeah.

Jenae McCall  03:07

And then I also have done some other stuff on campus. That's more like events, planning administration.You know, the less fun stuff I feel.

Racheal Reed-Maloney  03:16

Not as exciting.

Jenae McCall  03:17

 Exactly.

Racheal Reed-Maloney  03:19

Well, yeah, so you've been here before, what made you want to come back to the Phoenix Center as a professional staff? 

Jenae McCall  03:24

Good question. So I think the best part of being here at the Phoenix Center is the team in the environment. It's very community focused, it's very caring, and genuine, instead of fake. 

Racheal Reed-Maloney  03:38

I hear that, 

Jenae McCall  03:39

That's something I've really appreciated is like when someone asks you how you're doing, they actually care. And I know sometimes that's hard to find, and like an office setting. But on top of that, my approach to client work is very anti oppression focused, very strengths based focus. And the Phoenix Center is just something that really aligns with that ideology. 

Racheal Reed-Maloney  04:02

Yeah. 

Jenae McCall  04:02

So it makes it easier to do my job. 

Racheal Reed-Maloney  04:05

And it's funny, I pretend like I don't know, you've been here before Jenae. And I actually interned together during that advocacy piece. So, yes. All those things. Yeah. Also similar reasons why I wanted to come back. So I resignate with all of that. And you kind of mentioned it already. But you know, you're in this position. As a survivor advocate, you're going to be supporting students, faculty and staff members on our campus who are survivors of interpersonal violence. So as you're starting in this work, starting this new semester, what is approaching being a survivor advocate mean to you specifically with our Auraria campus? 

Jenae McCall  04:39

Yeah. It's a good question. So you know, we have a very unique campus, of course, three institutions with three different populations, right. So just being able to kind of navigate all of those unique pieces. I know, we discussed a little bit in interviews, some of those questions, right. 

Racheal Reed-Maloney  04:58

Yeah. 

Jenae McCall  04:59

Things like, you know, some of the folks we see are going to be folks who have never been outside of their parents home, right. And as is totally new for them. And some of the folks that we see are folks with families that have things going on. So just that range is something that I'm excited to work with. And then to me, being a survivor advocate really just means empowering others to navigate their journeys with IPV. in ways that are beneficial to them, I'm a big believer in the like, you're the expert in your own life. 

Racheal Reed-Maloney  05:27

Yes, exactly. 

Jenae McCall  05:29

So really, my role is to provide a buffet of options. 

Racheal Reed-Maloney  05:32

I love that buffet of options.

Jenae McCall  05:35

And then you tell me what works, right? You let me know what's going to work for your life. And I'm here to provide guidance and answer questions. But at the end of the day, my role is to be the support that gets you where you need to go based on what you need. 

Racheal Reed-Maloney  05:50

That's awesome. Yeah. And that is so important when working with survivors like us, not telling them what to do. But like, Hey, what are you looking for? These are some options, how do you want to navigate it? Because I know there are a lot of folks are like, I just want to tell this person, I love what to do, or they're doing this and that they shouldn't be doing that. And I think it'd be hard to be like, no, they have to make that decision for themselves, even if it doesn't appear to be the best decision. So it's awesome. You're coming in with that perspective. 

Jenae McCall  06:13

Thank you. Yeah, absolutely. And I think, especially in interpersonal violence, that should be where we're coming from, right. We're scaring people off, and they're not getting the help that they need. 

Racheal Reed-Maloney  06:23

Definitely, yeah. And what are you excited about learning now that you're like a professional staff, survivor advocate here? Because I know internship versus professional is very different, something I've had to also navigate and learn. But yeah, so what are you learning about in this new role that you have here? 

Jenae McCall  06:39

Yeah, I think that's a great question, too. So my past role that I just came from, it's more like higher education administration focus. 

Racheal Reed-Maloney  06:47

Okay. Yeah. 

Jenae McCall  06:47

So a lot more, I guess, closer to a corporate job, or anything else. So essentially, I'm just excited to kind of jump back into a career that aligns a little bit more with my goals. I think I want to do clinical work going forward. You know, I'm a social work student. And that's such a broad, 

Racheal Reed-Maloney  07:08

Oh, my gosh, yeah, 

Jenae McCall  07:10

Career field, that it's hard to narrow it down, I think  But I'm really just excited to jump back into that kind of work and then create change while working in systems. I think, like a lot of folks, including myself would go into fields where it's like, I want to make a difference. I want to do something we learn a lot about how to do that from an outside perspective, but not necessarily how do we navigate these systems in a way that like I can make change that is actually beneficial to underserved populations? 

Racheal Reed-Maloney  07:12

Valid.  I hear that. Yeah. 

Jenae McCall  07:39

So I'm really looking forward to some of that good trouble, for lack of a better term.

Racheal Reed-Maloney  07:46

Yes.

Jenae McCall  07:47

And then I think the last few years have also just been like a good reminder about how challenging social issues are in this country, 

Racheal Reed-Maloney  07:55

For sure. 

Jenae McCall  07:56

And it's hard not to get kind of bogged down by that a lot of the time and feel like you can't make any kind of difference as one person. So I'm really looking forward to finding ways to do that.  Yeah While being within a system. 

Racheal Reed-Maloney  08:09

Awesome. And then a little more personal. What do you enjoy doing in your free time? 

Jenae McCall  08:15

So I am a nerd. I'm a big nerd. So we'll start there. My partner and I love building Legos together. 

Racheal Reed-Maloney  08:22

Oh my gosh, my family loves Legos. My brother my mom do them all the time.

Jenae McCall  08:29

Well, I like we use it as like a communication exercise for our relationship. 

Racheal Reed-Maloney  08:33

Oh, yeah. 

Jenae McCall  08:34

Highly recommend if you're looking for healthy communication exercises. So like, he'll build it, and I'll read the book, and then we'll switch each step 

Racheal Reed-Maloney  08:42

That is so cool. 

Jenae McCall  08:43

It's really fun. So we spend a lot of time doing that. But I'm also a big lover of live music. So love a live show. I'm a huge early 2000s Emo pop punk first. 

Racheal Reed-Maloney  08:56

Yeah. 

Jenae McCall  08:57

So Fallout Boy, Paramore, My Chemical Romance that kind of vibe. But I love a small venue and a local show. 

Racheal Reed-Maloney  09:03

What would you say your favorite live concert has been? 

Jenae McCall  09:07

I would say there's a specific band that I've seen 14 times. 

Racheal Reed-Maloney  09:11

Oh my gosh!

Jenae McCall  09:13

And it's Coheed and Cambria. 

Racheal Reed-Maloney  09:15

Okay

Jenae McCall  09:16

And they're wonderful. They put on such a great show. And, you know, even though I've seen them so many times that setlist changes every time. So it's like you get a little bit of new stuff. And I like that. So and then, you know, I like to play video games. We were just talking about that. 

Racheal Reed-Maloney  09:30

Yeah. 

Jenae McCall  09:31

I like to play the cozier side of the game. So Animal Crossing Farm, Sims, like stuff that makes you forget about what's happening in the real world. 

Racheal Reed-Maloney  09:40

Valid. Yes, exactly. And then do you have any fur babies? We have an office full of her babies, a little pets that we brag about all the time. Do you have anything you would like to share with our listeners? 

Jenae McCall  09:51

Totally. I have for babies and scaly babies. So,

Racheal Reed-Maloney  09:56

 I've never heard that term. 

Jenae McCall  10:00

So I have a very talkative orange cat. His name is Trouble. He's a chubby little boy love him to death. He's so cute. And then I also have a bearded dragon, who her name is Wort. And she is a lot of energy. And then I have a Veiled Chameleon and his name is Pascal like Tangled. 

Racheal Reed-Maloney  10:23

That's so cute. 

Jenae McCall  10:24

He's kind of a jerk. But you know what? That's okay. That's okay, I'm grunpy too so I get it.

Racheal Reed-Maloney  10:30

What do they like to do like their favorite activities or favorite snacks? I would say for my cat, his favorite activity is screaming at the foot of the bed. That's his favorite thing, though. 

Jenae McCall  10:42

That's like a  sport for cats.  Yeah, literally. They're like, how loud can I be right now? 

Racheal Reed-Maloney  10:46

Yeah.

Jenae McCall  10:47

And then I would say for my bearded dragon, she's kind of like anything goes like she tries to eat the cat. She thinks she can do it. She can't. 

Racheal Reed-Maloney  10:56

That's hilarious. Where does she start at the cat to try to eat it? 

Jenae McCall  10:59

She'll like, get right in front of them and like, puffer herself up all big. And she's like, You know what? I'm gonna get you. And then she'll run after him. And he's like, No, I don't like that. Please go away.

Racheal Reed-Maloney  11:10

That is so funny. I love the confidence. 

Jenae McCall  11:12

Absolutely. I'm like, I wish I had that, you know? And then yeah, the chameleon, he just kind of hangs out. He doesn't do much. 

Racheal Reed-Maloney  11:22

I love learning about people's pets. They're just like children.

Jenae McCall  11:25

 I feel like you will learn a lot about someone by learning about their pets. 

Racheal Reed-Maloney  11:28

That is so true.  You mentioned that you're a graduate student, you're working full time. How do you balance being a student along with being an employee and a human?

Jenae McCall  11:41

That's the question of the century. So I've kind of worked full time in some capacities throughout my entire academic career. So in undergrad all the way till now, whether that's been a full time position, or a variety of part time positions that make up full time hours And being organized is really my biggest thing. So I like to take time in the morning and do like a little gratitude journaling, and a little like to do, you know, take a look at what my day looks like. And then during the semesters, I try to keep like a month planner. 

Racheal Reed-Maloney  11:57

Yes. Oh, yeah. I love that. Amazing. 

Jenae McCall  12:14

See those assignments. You know what I mean? So it's not a surprise. 

Racheal Reed-Maloney  12:17

Yeah.

Jenae McCall  12:19

So yeah, just staying really organized, trying to keep track of all that stuff. But it is a challenge sometimes. So 

Racheal Reed-Maloney  12:26

Yeah.  Commend anyone who's doing that. Honestly. Yeah, I have so much respect for it. I couldn't do that in grad school. So whenever I hear people are, especially in grad school working full time, or even part time, I'm like, wow, like props. Clapping all the hands. What do you need? How can I be supportive to you? 

Jenae McCall  12:42

Absolutely

Racheal Reed-Maloney  12:43

It's so hard. Yeah. 

Jenae McCall  12:43

Well and grad school, it's a job within itself. 

Racheal Reed-Maloney  12:47

It really is. Yeah. You don't realize how taxing it is until you're there. 

Jenae McCall  12:51

Yeah, yeah. You get warned. But for me, it was like, it's a warning right. That's what I said about undergrad, but no they were right. 

Racheal Reed-Maloney  12:59

Yeah, I remember when I started graduate school I cried the second day in 

Jenae McCall  13:03

Yep. 

Racheal Reed-Maloney  13:03

Oh my god. There's so much the do and I'm already behind on stuff.

Jenae McCall  13:08

Are you even in grad school if you're not crying the first month? 

Racheal Reed-Maloney  13:12

If you're not crying something's up.  Literally. You're, I guess kudos to you. Because you're the most on top. Right. You're the most like stable person. You're good. Maybe I don't know. But cry or not. Y'all got this.

Jenae McCall  13:25

Are you a desert person? First of all, if you are what type of desserts Do you like? I am a big lover of cheesecake.

Racheal Reed-Maloney  13:36

Ooo.

Jenae McCall  13:38

All types of cheesecake but I really like white chocolate raspberry cheesecake specifically. 

Racheal Reed-Maloney  13:43

It's good. That's a good one.

Jenae McCall  13:45

Every year. My mom. Like for my birthday. She'll make different kinds of cheesecake. 

Racheal Reed-Maloney  13:49

Oh, fun.

Jenae McCall  13:50

It's really fun. And she comes up with some cool flavors and stuff. 

Racheal Reed-Maloney  13:54

What has been like a favorite of hers that she's made. 

Jenae McCall  13:56

So she's done the white chocolate raspberry for me before and eventually I kept asking for it. So she's like, can we do something else? And this year, she did like a peach cinnamon kind of situation. And it was good. 

Racheal Reed-Maloney  14:08

That sounds amazing. 

Jenae McCall  14:09

Yes. 

Racheal Reed-Maloney  14:09

That sounds so good and I don't like peaches and that sounds good. 

Jenae McCall  14:12

I'll have to bring it in to share. You know

Racheal Reed-Maloney  14:14

Oh yeah we love desserts in this office. So anytime people have desserts bring'em in. 

Jenae McCall  14:18

Oh, yeah.All the sweets. 

Racheal Reed-Maloney  14:22

Yeah. And then this was a question that was asked of me that that was funny. And I was curious to see what you had to say. I guess it's a very polarizing question. I didn't realize until I was asked it. Have you seen The Nightmare Before Christmas? 

Jenae McCall  14:35

Oh, yes, of course.

Racheal Reed-Maloney  14:37

 All right. So is that movie a Halloween movie or a Christmas movie? 

Jenae McCall  14:41

Both know my partner and I watched it on Halloween and on Christmas. 

Racheal Reed-Maloney  14:46

I love that. 

Jenae McCall  14:46

It's both.

Racheal Reed-Maloney  14:47

Yes. That's what I was saying. It's like a both movie. You know, it's Halloween and Christmas combined. It's like 90 minute film. 

Jenae McCall  14:56

Literally the first 45 is Halloween second is 45 Christmas, right.

Racheal Reed-Maloney  15:02

I love that answer. I was excited about that one. I'm so glad to hear of another person who does the same thing. 

Jenae McCall  15:08

Same thought. 

Racheal Reed-Maloney  15:09

Great minds think alike  And that was all this questions I had for you today. But is there anything else you would like to share with our listeners about yourself? 

Jenae McCall  15:18

I don't think I have anything. Too big. I'm a big Star Wars fan, too. I know that's common in the office. 

Racheal Reed-Maloney  15:25

Yeah. 

Jenae McCall  15:26

But yeah, I'm a big Star Wars fan, too. So just a little bit, a little bit more about me.

Racheal Reed-Maloney  15:31

And I guess a random one. I just thought up since you mentioned that, like, if someone were to walk into your office, what type of stuff would they see? Like, what would be the vibe they would get about who Jenae is? 

Jenae McCall  15:40

Whoo, I like that question. Um, I liked what Harriet has told me in the past, which is I'm approachable alternative. 

Racheal Reed-Maloney  15:48

Oh, my, I love that descriptor. 

Jenae McCall  15:51

So you'll see a lot of, I have a lot of little Star Wars things in my office. And I have quite a few different art pieces. My mom is an artist. So some of the art in my office my mom made. And then I also just have some like little band Funko Pops and like fun stuff like that. So I also have candy. So, 

Racheal Reed-Maloney  16:12

Yes, candy is very encouraged in this office as well. Love candy, the desserts, all the comfort foods 

Jenae McCall  16:18

Chocolates needed. 

Racheal Reed-Maloney  16:19

Yes. So that's awesome. Well, thank you, Jenae, for taking some time out of your first week of working here to chat with me about who you are and introduce yourself to our listeners. 

Jenae McCall  16:31

Of course. Thanks for having me. I'm really excited to be here. And I'm excited to meet all of you as the semester goes on.  So

Racheal Reed-Maloney  16:37

Awesome. All right. So thank you listeners for taking some time out of your schedule to learn more about our new survivor advocate Jenae. I hope you all get to get to know her on a more personal level, and that you are looking forward to hearing from her in the future. If something you heard today reminded you about a personal experience you have had with interpersonal violence or a loved one's experience with interpersonal violence, please contact our 24/7 helpline number at 303-556-2255. The Phoenix Center is here to support you as you process your or your loved ones experiences with interpersonal violence. If you aren't already following the Phoenix center on Instagram, you can follow us @PhoenixCenter. We currently have our "creepy or cute" social media campaign going on for Stalking Awareness Month this January. And it's been really great to see all the engagement from folks. I've been hearing that people are really enjoying doing that on social media. So if you're not following us already, check us out there and keep an eye on our Instagram story for the different scenarios we're going to be having this month. My name is Racheal Reed-Maloney, and thank you for listening. I look forward to learning with you next time.