Hi, Kaya! It's great of you to participate in this! Thanks so much. You've moved into a less traditional role than where you started (if anybody would ever consider M.I.T. traditional!), so you might have some unique observations about your path. Let's get you going withn the same set of questions that Amy addressed. Fine job, Amy, by the way.
1.) Describe your professional path in the field. If there are aspects of your decision making in your career choices that may inform how our students approach the beginning of their own professional employment, please share them. If there are things you'd have done differently, please explain them.
2.) Describe some challenges you've faced in the work. Are there experiences you've had as a supervisor (or with a supervisor) that presented particular difficulty (or particular joy)? Are there challenging interactions with faculty, colleagues, students, or parents that have made lasting contributions to your learning?
3.) What keeps you going? What are the best parts of the work, particularly any neat surprises you've experienced, ways in which the work was better or more fun than you expected?
4.) You may have addressed this, but if there are any particular pieces of advice that you'd share with entering professionals, what would they be? These students are beginning their job searches (remember that?) and at the brink of making choices about what they'll be doing and where - choices that matter. Any advice for them?
The "middle ten" (alphabetically) of the class will be interacting with you. Have a blast!
Best,
TEM
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ReplyDeleteThanks, all, for having me! Tom set me up to either be hilarious or to fail miserably in the funny and entertaining alumni realm, so thanks for that too. I’ll give it my best, middle 10. I’m doing this in multiple posts to fit it all in….
ReplyDeleteMy professional path… probably best described as not what I would have guessed had you asked me in 2002. When I graduated from CSA, my first move took me back north, to Boston, MA where my boyfriend and eventual husband, who is also is Higher Ed, had taken his first professional job a year earlier. I conducted a very targeted job search, buoyed by the fact that NASPA was held in Boston that year, and that in addition to having a Dunkin Donuts on every corner, there was also practically a different college on every corner as well. I moved in May, and by August I had sent out dozens of resumes with practically no leads. I was desperate, desolate, and sure that I had missed the higher ed. hiring cycle and wouldn’t fund work until the following June. By desperate, I mean that I hit a particular low when I completed an application at the local hardware store and was politely turned down when I shared that I had a masters degree and really wanted to apply it to home and garden sales.
But in early August, I got three calls by three different institutions within one week; and by mid-August, I had accepted the first position offered as the Coordinator of Fraternities, Sororities, and Living Groups at MIT. It was not a terrible decision or career path for me…but I distinctly remember leaving the interview, feeling confident that I had done well, but also thinking “this place is weird; I don’t think I’ll be back”. It only got weirder in my next 8 years there.
Sidebar on just how weird: I think in my second year working there, a colleague in the Student Activities area asked for my help with an issue. A Historically African-American fraternity was teaming up with a cultural student group to celebrate the upcoming MLK day. When they came to us, they had done their research. They had found that they could procure, online, what the seller was promising as authentic MLK DNA. The proposal was to purchase said DNA, and in one of the MIT labs, alter the DNA to be grown into a fruit...they were thinking an apple. Then, on MLK Day, at an Institute-wide celebration honoring his work and contributions to society, they would ceremoniously eat the apple. They would even invite his surviving family to witness it all. It was all planned out. The only part they needed help with was funding, and they were wondering if the student activities fund or the alcohol-free social event fund could help them out.
ReplyDeleteYeah, let that one sit for a minute, and tell me just where Kohlberg defined that kind of ethical decision-making scale.
So from day 1 my professional career path at MIT went along with the oddities and idiosyncrasies of MIT’s culture. Which, I have to defend: is as brilliant and enriching and wonderful as it was baffling and bizarre from time to time. I viewed my role at MIT as getting an MIT education. I was constantly working with, learning from, and being humbled by faculty and students whose IQ I knew I could never match; but I found that I did bring an emotional quotient to many areas of student life that was as valuable as anything else. (And I signed up for the word-a-day email from dictionary.com to work on the vocabulary section of the job). I found that for me, one of the most key components to thoroughly enjoying my work and feeling as though I was making a difference in students’ lives was enjoying the company and camaraderie of my colleagues. The students were brilliant and dedicated and loved solving any problem presented to them; but my colleagues kept me at MIT year after year. Again, this is not a career decision that I regret in any way, but when I look back, I do recognize that I stayed a long time at MIT. I was able to advance to an Assistant Director position and then was promoted during a departmental reorganization to the Assistant Dean role. I oversaw all residence hall programming personnel as well as the fraternity/sorority and cooperative living communities from 2007-2010 when I left MIT. I think there is a lot to be said for the diversity of experience that being a young professional in the field affords you, and though I didn’t take that path, I do still recommend it for others.
ReplyDeleteI (finally) did leave MIT in 2010 when I was offered the opportunity to work for a women’s fraternity; the same one that I joined not as an undergraduate student, but as a grad student at USF when my assistantship brought me full-time to Fraternity/Sorority Affairs advising. The Executive Director was a colleague I had known from volunteer roles, as she had worked 30 years in higher education. She sought me out for a role working to advance the ideals of fraternity in various areas because of my higher education background. It was a non-traditional move for me: I had relatively little direct experience in running a business that seeks to enhance the collegiate and lifetime experiences of members, but I do really buy into the idea that leadership is a personal, relational, transformational experience that happens at any age. I think what I do now helps women reach that capacity in themselves, and I’m extremely proud to contribute to that, whether on one campus or as part of the organization I now serve. It is what keeps me going.
ReplyDeleteSome of my absolute best experiences from those first roles and that continue today came from the wonderful support of my supervisors who challenged me to do my best, but gave me leeway to complete my work; and from my mentors who supported sometimes inarticulate goals and helped me define how I could influence the communities I served. When I had the opportunity to hire and supervise my own staff, I really tried to emulate some of those best qualities I had benefitted from in my professional development. The relationships that I form with the students I serve, my colleagues, and the team I lead are what I consider the best parts of the job. Learning that has been my own particular journey professionally. I took my first job because, frankly, it was offered to me. I took my next big career leap after I had recognized in myself what I needed to not only perform my best, but be my best. I think that is my best advice: to surround yourselves with competent, supportive and wonderful friends/partners/colleagues so you can find the self-awareness and confidence necessary to follow where the opportunities lead you.
So, for what that’s worth, hit me with your questions!
Hi Kaya,
ReplyDeletePleasure to "meet" you! I'm looking at one school that stands to be somewhat similar to MIT as far as student population, and while you alluded to it with the apple example, I was wondering what sorts of general challenges you faced dealing with such high functioning students?
-Amma Marfo
Hey There Kaya,
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your experiences after your time at USF. My question for you is what what was the initial experience like going from graduate student to professional? What were the struggles that you had to overcome? Did you feel as though there was more pressure for you to make the "right" decision?
-Former MA Resident (Mickey Howard)
Hey Kaya!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your experiences thus far!
What things do you or did you get invovlved in, outside of your normal job duties, to add to your professional experience?
Thanks! Paula K
Hey Kaya!
ReplyDeleteThanks you for taking time out to do this! I first want to say that I literally laughed out loud after reading the MLK apply story..how interesting! My question for you is; what is some advice can you offer those who are getting into a funtional area that they might not have much experience in?
Thanks,
Tabi
Kaya....you are HILARIOUS! Like Tabi, I also died laughing at the MLK story! As a matter of fact...I am still crying from laughter. My question for you is what types of things do you do outside of your job that help you find a sense of balance? I am a firm believer in a balance of work and a social life. Are there challenges that you have come across in finding said balance?
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteGreetings Kaya,
ReplyDeleteI would like to say thank you for sharing your knowledge with us and it is a pleasure meeting you. I guess my biggest question for you is was the transition to a more intellectually inclined environment a difficult one. I am looking at a lot of schools that have very bright students and I am not sure how I would fit in. It seems like your overall experience was great, but were there a lot of bumps in the road? Also, how was the experience of moving up at the same institution? Did you have any issues with colleagues not respecting your elevation in the hierarchy or moving into your new role?
Sorry for all the questions, I am just very curious!
Thank you,
Hiram
Hello Kaya,
ReplyDeleteThank you for participating in this blog, reading about your experience has been truly enjoyable. As for my question, I would like to focus on your job search experience. I know many of us are applying to multiple positions across the nation and want to have that job offer when we cross the stage at graduation. How did you navigate your job search, more importantly the low points? How did you keep hope and not fall into settling for an undesirable position or one outside of the field?
Thank you!!
Jonathan
Here we go, in order of comments- and thanks all, for the interest!
ReplyDeleteAmma, this is a great question- as you can see, MIT students (and alumni) challenged the process in many ways, which built my personal and professional development. MIT helped me develop engineering skills that I could apply to my approach to student development. When I’m faced with a challenge today, I’m solution-driven, just like many of my students there were. I tend to try to break problems apart to find responses to different aspects., and also determine how to use resources most effectively. I think that the CSA program did give me a good base of knowledge to take that approach when learning to apply theories to different situations and scenarios.
My counseling skills were tested quite often; Asperger’s and the Autism scale were not a large part of our CSA curriculum because it was not very prevalent on campuses at that time. Working with highly intelligent and functioning yet socially inept students brought many challenges, and I would suggest if you are seeking a role at a highly selective institution that you be prepared for an interview question on how to work with students with these disabilities. Their ability to interpret social cues adds a whole new layer to social and group dynamics. I have some hilarious and true stories about some of the social situations I found myself in early in my career at MIT…. I promise to share at the end of the week!
Mickey, great question as well. My transition from grad student to new professional was a smooth one for the most part. I had outstanding colleagues, many of whom were also embarking on their first job after graduate school, and we stuck together. That support was really important to me. My first supervisor was also an incredible mentor that is now a close friend. I also sought out mentors in other staff and faculty, and while I was asked to make community decisions and take an active role in leading the efforts of students and alumni, I was also supported a great deal. My opinions were valued and encouraged, and even when my approach needed to be revised, I felt that I was an important voice in the process. Finding fit with the institution but also the existing staff is very important to me now- I would not take a job that seemed perfect but did not offer me respectful support and relationships with colleagues and my supervisor. I realize that is a personal preference, but developing those relationships with your colleagues is my advice so you can go through a creative process when given an issue to solve or program/idea to implement.
ReplyDeleteOne other great thing I had going was that MIT students would run with whatever idea we came up with, but they were used to solving problems through experimentation. That took a lot of pressure off me to pick the right answer. ☺
Hi Kaya,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your blog post. Dr. Miller was right, you are a funny one and highly engaging as well. I adore Boston after getting to spend my practicum last summer there. The collegiate atmosphere of the entire area was my favorite part. I am already working full-time in the Career Center at USF. I transitioned into the job from my Graduate Assistantship in January. I can definitely say that working full-time as a young Student Affairs professional is eye opening. I struggle the most with feeling like I am qualified to make some of the decisions I do. Did you ever feel the same way and how did you overcome the feeling?
Also, I stayed with USF because the timing was right and my husband has a great job in Tampa. However, we are not looking to stay in the area permanently. How did you know when it was the right time to move on? Did you just keep your eye on opportunities and jumped when the right "fit" came up?
Thanks for your guidance!
Ashley Motley
Kaya -
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your experiences. I really enjoyed hearing about your career path! It is reassuring to know that you took a position that was completely unexpected and that didn't seem like a great fit, however the end result was rewarding. Since, many of us will be starting our first entry level positions could you expand on how you balanced bringing in your past experience to your position, but still allowed time to learn the way things were done at MIT?
Kaya-
ReplyDeleteSorry for jumping on the blog bus so late, but it's been great reading about your experiences! Dr. Miller was actually going to send me to MIT for our summer practicum, but I beat him to it and found a NODA internship at a different institution in Rhode Island on my own. Oh what could have been... those MLK apples could have been mine!
I have a couple of questions- you've mentioned a little bit about the interesting dynamics involved with working at MIT and engaging the students there. Could you dive a little bit deeper into that and address some of the scenarios and conversations you've had with that population of students- did you find that the students felt they had to be/were always "right?" and when you had to challenge them, what was that process like?
Also, do you have any advice for us as we move into our professional lives as far as establishing ourselves and building confidence as a new professional? I'm sure at time we all feel (I know I do) like we are not valued in certain capacities because we are "just a GA," and I'm sure that will happen to an extent starting in our new positions- either departmentally or institutionally. Any pearls of wisdom on how to deal with this and what we can do to combat this if we are not seen as "equals?"
You rock!
-Jeff Parker
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ReplyDeleteHi Kaya. Thanks for taking the time to share your experiences with us. I worked in Boston for the summer and loved it. I am doing an on campus interview with a Boston school and I was wondering if there were any challenges to working in the Boston Area? Also what were your favorite places to go in Boston? If I do end up working in Boston do you have any words of wisdom?
ReplyDeleteThanks,
Jamie
Hey Kaya. Thanks for the great insight. My question go to your decision as far as switching over to the women's sorority. Was there something about the field that help want to switch over and do you see yourself coming back in?
ReplyDeleteWoody
I know Tom turned me off for the week, but I did want to make sure I respond to all your great comments and questions. Sorry for the delay- I spent this weekend interviewing candidates for my traveling staff next year, and that was all-consuming! Now I’m back, though.
ReplyDeletePaula, I think this is really important! I did seek to get involved in some of our profession’s affiliations and associations to continue my development. I am a member of NASPA though not very involved at any national or regional level. I am a member of the Association of Fraternity/Sorority Advisors and have stayed very active in that organization, volunteering at regional and national levels, most recently serving on the conference committee for the 2010 annual meeting. I really enjoy the opportunities for networking and education that AFA affords me. Lastly, I had the great fortune of getting involved in LeaderShape and the Undergraduate Interfraternity Institute as a facilitator for both national programs, and those experiences have been extraordinarily rewarding. I would encourage any practitioner in any area of student affairs to apply to be a facilitator for LeaderShape. It is a truly transformational experience!
Tabi, I can tell you I’ve been in over my head before... (see MLK story again as exhibit A, and believe me when I tell you it was a while before I got past the “what the ?!?!?!” to see the humor in that!) While getting into a new functional area may be daunting, my advice is to go for it and grow from it. I don’t believe that being new to the area of work will make a difference in your effectiveness or your level of happiness. I think the actual difference is if you feel your work fits with your values and what you want students to get from their experience. At USF, Greek Life was new for me. My trepidation and stereotypes of it being an excuse to have a social collegiate experience instead of a fully collegiate experience (appreciating both the inside and outside of the classroom learning) could have set me up to be closed to the value it does add to the student experience. Today, I can see myself being quite happy in this field of student affairs and adding to the community.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the compliment JD! I actually think keeping a sense of humor about your job is one great aspect of balance, so I try. ☺ If I’m being honest, though, I probably am better at juggling than I am actual balance in my life. I LOVE my work, and I find myself dedicating many of my waking hours to what I do. However, I also have a great family life, and something my partner I love to do is cook and eat. ☺ So, dinner is huge in my house, even if we’re eating at 8 or 9pm. We’re foodies, and this new move to TN has also given us the opportunity to explore all new restaurants and grocery stores. It is a great hobby to balance my work.
ReplyDeleteEric and I also love baseball; and so we’re proud patrons of the Red Sox with a season ticket package (not all games- we both work from higher ed salaries!) to Fenway Park. It was something we looked forward to all year, and we didn’t give up our tickets even when we moved away. (Hey Jamie! I have great seats if you want to try them out!). So far in Nashville we’ve checked out the minor league team as well as gone to a few hockey games. So, my advice is to invest in some way in the community you live in, and that helps with balance. We saw nearly every museum in Boston as well as all the Revolutionary War history, and so far in Nashville we are checking out the restaurants, museums, and landmarks. We also try to take one weekend day per month to find something to volunteer for; we’ve helped with walks and races, we worked the starting line (at 4am!) of the Boston Marathon, taken pet photos with Santa Claus, and worked food kitchens in both states to try to remember the privilege around us and also find a balance in our own lives. I highly recommend it!
Hi Hiram-
ReplyDeleteThese are great questions. I am a product of state schools for both my degrees, so I was anxious about a switch to private education, and elite education at that. Really and truly, what I found was that despite not having the academic background of the faculty, alumni, and students I was working with, when I learned their method of thinking and applied it to my influence in their education, I could really make a difference. It was definitely a strategy on my part, and it came with some anxiety, but I think luckily I have a fairly healthy self-confidence, so I went for it. If you think that you can’t contribute because you can’t talk quantum physics, you’ll be left out. But, I found common ground in the experiences they were having- which are pretty universal. I also tried my best to teach those I was working with about my area of expertise. I worked for months with a professor and researcher in neurobiology to set up a seminar for alumni volunteers where we talked about the chemical changes in young adult brains and how they affect learning and development. Guess what? It was exactly a student development theory seminar, but explained (by others) in terms of neurological and biological brain development. There is common ground!
My advancement at MIT I don’t think can be attributed very much to creative theory lessons, though. MIT prides itself on being a meritocracy, and a community that rewards and appreciates hard work and persistence. If you see my notes on (poor) balance, you can also guess that I spent nights and weekends attending to the community, developing relationships by attending programs, functions, and a whole lot of taco nights to talk to students and their advisors/alumni. I think that attentiveness and care was a factor in my being successful and rising in responsibility. I also know that I had outstanding supervisors for much of that journey who always championed my work. I had such wonderful colleagues that were my support for work and fun that I don’t think (or know of!) any issues- even in disagreements, the respect for our collective work was high. I think at an elite institution, you have to know that the community will appreciate your work in different ways. I never had a student at MIT tell me that they wanted to work in student affairs. However, I did have a whole lot who have risen to leadership roles in non-profits like Teach For America; or who have started their own Non-Government Organizations to help with things like bringing clean water to communities in developing countries; so the rewards come outside of students wanting to be exactly like you or do what you do.
Oh, Jonathan. I totally know what you are feeling- I wanted that so badly myself! I remember a few colleagues in my cohort that did accept offers before graduation, and I was of course happy for them, but also had that pang of “oh please don’t let me be the last one!” too. Because my search was so targeted geographically, I knew it was going to take a miracle to have a job prior to graduation. At NASPA that spring I did sit for two interviews in Job Placement for Boston-area jobs, but neither was a fit. So, I focused on moving first and figured the job would come.
ReplyDeleteWhen I mentioned above how desperate and in despair I was in July, I’m not sure I can do it justice. I had moved in with Eric, who was living in a three-bedroom apartment with two roommates who were nice that he had found on Craigslist or something similar. I moved all of my belongings from my one-bedroom into his bedroom in the apartment or to a storage unit. And, basically for that summer, I lived in that one room- all my stuff, all his stuff, and our cat, and I grew miserable. ☺ I checked job websites compulsively and didn’t get out to change my routine. One unremarkable day, Eric came home from his work and asked how my day had been- and I literally crumbled into tears when I told him we were out of the Diet Coke 12-pack he had brought home the previous day. That was not the healthiest time in my life, so thankfully I have gotten through that! Truthfully, at that time, the only thing keeping me from taking a job outside of the field was that I couldn’t even get that. ☺
I’ve also experienced this a bit more recently, when we made the decision to move to Nashville for my new work opportunity. Eric searched for a job from Boston and after we made the move here, and it was difficult. He was called in for many interviews, and was a finalist often, but was not selected as the candidate of choice for 8 months. Watching his self-esteem take those hits, as well as my feelings of guilt since we had come for my opportunity, was wrenching. Eric stayed more positive than I had years ago, and did look for work in the non-profit sector to hold him over and allow him to feel productive. He first volunteered and then was hired part-time for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, and he was able to use so many of the skills he had honed in higher education there. It was a great tie between his actual higher ed jobs.
So, my advice is to not despair. Use the connections in your life that are most supportive, and know that even if a search is longer and harder than you ever expected, persistence and a positive attitude are the factors that will get you through. Don’t be afraid to try something new or outside of the field as long as it fits with who you are and what is important to you. Selling hammers would never have been a good fit for me, but finding a non-profit to help run was outstanding for my partner. And lay off more than a few cans of Diet Coke per 24-hour cycle. ☺
Ashley, Ashley, Jeff, Jamie & Woody- I'm coming back for you guys tomorrow. Thanks all for your patience with me!
ReplyDeleteHi Ashley #1! Congratulations on your full time employment at USF! I do remember that sense of uncertainty in my first role, and I can share with you that the feeling can creep back up on you throughout your career. I know that learning a new campus and political environment always brings that back for me in some way. I think (hope!) that this feeling is natural. In my experience, I overcame those feelings of self-doubt through a dedication to learning. I ask culture, process, and procedure questions all the time, and I highly encourage that personal research as a way to bolster your sense of “is this right?” I also firmly believe that seeking out mentor relationships that you can call on for all of those “big picture” questions can build your confidence in getting the daily calls correct. Don’t let your uncertainty get away with you, though! We all do our best with what we’ve got, and we all make mistakes- the trick is not to try not to make them, but to try not to repeat them.
ReplyDeleteAshley #2, this is also a great question. I think any new job does require that transfer of knowledge yet humility to know you have a lot to learn. I think one of the traps that new professionals can fall into is that when faced with a problem, we immediately try to solve it from our direct experience. Some advice I always give my team of new professionals is to avoid the following words like the plague: “at (insert school), we …” It’s a kiss of death statement that can make others feel like you are trying to fit a square peg into a round hole, or worse, that you don’t understand or care about their particular culture. The same idea or message can be delivered in a way that doesn’t set you up as an outsider in your new role, and allows you to show appreciation of campus culture. For me at MIT, that was crucial in my relationships with students and alumni, and I think made a significant difference also in my advancement at the institution.
ReplyDeleteBoy, Jeff- you dodged a bullet there with your NODA opportunity, huh? Nice! Just kidding…I think last summer was relatively low-key. ☺
ReplyDeleteAs to your question about whether MIT students always believe they are right… in general, they were very linear thinkers. When they had to find a solution to an issue, they followed exact logic and could come to an answer with relative ease- keep in mind they are puzzle solvers by nature, so this was the easy part of the task most of the time. Where they were challenged was always implementation, as humans (and in particular their peers) rarely behave linearly. The best laid plans for programming, eliminating conflicts, working together, etc were always wasted. While linear plans were their area of expertise, my function was to coach them through the “what ifs” and plan Bs that would inevitably have to be utilized. Or, to coach them through the other areas of their problem solving that they had not considered (see: MLK apple potential fiasco). Their academic training really was to experiment with solutions and plans, and to not be discouraged with setbacks or necessary changes, just as if they were in a laboratory. So, I guess it isn’t fair to say they always thought they were right.
As I think about your second question, to be honest, knowing my place might not be my best virtue. ☺ I think if you make it part of your role to learn, ask good questions, and be emotionally invested in the community and campus culture, then your title is just something on a business card. Being an active collaborator and offering your assistance across departmental or office boundaries can put you on the fast track to evolving past your particular job description, so I would encourage that as well. In my experience, by virtue of me liking my colleagues so much, I think the environment was created for us all to be judged not only by our longevity, but instead by our contributions. I hope you find an environment that also encourages that for you!
Jamie, I love love love love love Boston! I am so happy in my current position, but the only thing I would change is to be back in Beantown. ☺ Best of luck with your interview, and let me know where/who it is with- the Boston circle is fairly close, so if I can offer any support, I will.
ReplyDeleteBoston has a large number of colleges and universities in a small urban setting, so one of the assets and challenges is that often our students are engaged with one another across campuses, allowing for professionals to navigate issues, policies, and support beyond campus boundaries. I think I would ask that question in your interview to see what they currently do to collaborate with other campuses, or how that could be improved. As for things to do, I could go on for hours! Definitely check out all the history- walk the freedom train, visit the Old North Church (one if by land, two if by sea!), go to the Library, watch the Boston Marathon each spring (the whole state gets the day off, so you have no excuse!) and definitely, DEFINITELY go to the Esplanade for the 4th of July. I can’t describe to you how awesome America’s birthday is in one of our first cities.
One drawback: be prepared for city real estate. Apartments are small and pricey, so I would see if you can negotiate live-in accommodations.
Woody, this question got me thinking. Although I’m not on a traditional campus, I really do see my work as part of the fabric of student affairs. I think my CSA training is a huge asset to me in the non-profit setting, and I draw on it daily, so I don’t see myself as out of the field. I know that’s not what you meant in your question, but truly, my work with alumnae and collegiate leaders is part of a larger support for the out-of-the-classroom education that I value so much. The change in setting was definitely something that I weighed when considering the move, but it was the right time for me to try something new to challenge myself, and I do think that if and when I choose to try to come back to a campus position, I will be well-positioned to use these experiences as part of what I can bring to the next community I serve. It was part of my journey to realize that I really enjoy this area of student affairs and can see myself happily serving this area in many ways in time to come.
ReplyDeleteOK, to wrap up my week (plus) and thank you all for your great questions and attentiveness to my rambling, here’s a fun story that illustrates MIT at it’s most socially inept. One of my best anecdotes when I was working at MIT is “why I had a rear-view mirror on my computer screen”.
ReplyDeleteEarly in my time at MIT, I shared an office space with one of my peers. We were positioned so that his desk was towards the wall with the door, and mine was directly opposite the door. One day, I was hard at work, typing away at something or another and totally in the zone of whatever it was that I was doing. My office-mate Frank was on the phone, and I had tuned him out completely as he chatted and I did my thing. Frank was on the phone for a little while, and at some point he hung up, and I heard him clear his throat and say “hey, Kaya”. I didn’t look up from my keyboard or pay too much attention to him, so I casually responded what’s up? and kept working. Again, he cleared his throat, and with a little more urgency, said “hey, Kaya”.
I finished my sentence and swung my chair around…and this part I’m not sure I can accurately portray in writing. Imagine, if you can, your stereotype of the nerdiest MIT nerd you can conjure. Multiply her by 10. She fit all the worst of what you can think of. Fashion sense and attention to her attire at a negative 10; hair that had not been cut or trimmed in years and years. Complexion that suggests more time in a computer lab than sunlight. Glasses thicker than bottle caps, and with a slight disability of either sight or hearing that caused her to cock her head at an angle to see and/or hear you better. A slight tremor in her movements; which could be a factor of too much computer time, or a physical disability. This young woman is not a fright in and of herself, except for the fact that she is standing INCHES from me; leaning over at a sharp angle to be as close to my face as possible, with her arms extended in what I can only describe as a weird Batman pose- over her head but bent at the wrists and ominously hanging over me.
So I swirl around to find her in this pose, and I jumped back so hard that I almost knocked over my desk. I was visibly shaken, and couldn’t even pull myself together to act like I was amused. I think I almost swore at her when I asked her what she wanted; and she told me, responding “I thought it would be funny.” I don’t remember what her business was, and she left, with me still shaken.
When she did, I proceeded to ask Frank why the heck he hadn’t warned me that I was turning into that! His response was “Kaya, I was trying to get your attention the whole time I was on the phone, but I couldn’t get you to turn around. She had been standing there for about 10 minutes like that”.
Rear view on the screen went up the next day, and students were amazed at my uncanny ability to know who they were just by the way they knocked, from then on out.
Guys, it has been fun conversing with you all this week. Best of luck with your remaining time at USF and in all your job search endeavors! If I can be of any support as you go forward, please feel free to reach out.
-Kaya
Kaya,
ReplyDeleteThank you for the great advice and all the time you put into this blog. I am not sure if you are checking it anymore, but I laughed out loud when I read your story about the rear view screen. I laughed and and jumped up to show a colleague your story. There are also counselors in our office that have put up rear view screens because of students and staff awkwardly standing in their doorways.
P.S. I spent The Fourth of July on the Esplanade in Boston over the summer picknicking with friends that live in the city and it was so so wonderful :). I was also in Cambridge when Spain won the World Cup and it was Bastille Day. Imagine floods of young, Spanish international teenagers (students studying in Boston for the summer) running around the side streets of Cambridge screaming the national anthem of Spain at the top of their lungs. All the while, "French waiter look-a-likes" were running up and down the streets (some barefooted) competing in a contest to see who could carry the most liquid on their trays. Only in Boston. I love it.
-Ashley