On curry, forging friendships, the joys of editing student college essays and life in the CCC

Alright, so do you want to just jump right in?

Yep, that sounds good.

What’s most rewarding about working in the CCC?

Building relationships, honestly. I’m a relater at heart and at my core. I think for me, I see college as an opportunity for a lot of students, but I don’t necessarily believe that college adds any more value to the person themselves. It’s more of a privilege to get to know students on a deeper level. That’s what I really enjoy about it. Because I value people, and I think everyone wants to be appreciated and wants to be known … so it’s fun for me to be in that position.

What kind of relationships have you forged?

Well, I think that there’s been a lot of team building, which is great. I absolutely love working as a team and feeling a part of a community, and you know, being new to Atlanta, that’s something that I really wanted, … so I think it’s being able to collaborate with other people, and even working alongside parent volunteers! There’s a sweet element. It never seems as though I’m the college adviser, and these are the parent volunteers; it’s working together to really help students. That’s been really fun. I’ve even made friendships with the counseling staff … the media specialist, and Mr. Sartor is probably one of my closest friends outside of school. Having those sorts of friendships and even having mentors within the school has been awesome.

Where were you before you came to Grady?

I graduated from UGA, and I had been looking for work. I did this one unpaid internship for Healthy Relationships in Education, where I did some editing and different things. My passion at the time was, and still is, mental health and wellness. I was trying to find ways to pair my passion for psychology with work experience, especially not having a master’s degree … and this opportunity sort of opened itself to me.

Can you tell me about what you’ve been working on today? You’ve locked yourself up in here …

Yes, but I’ve still seen a lot of students! It’s funny. They still find me! So I’ve been working on reviewing student essays, which I honestly do love; … it just takes a lot of time because I really want to make sure that the reviews I provide students are going to be helpful, that they’re constructive. Also being sure to encourage students on what they did well, those sorts of things. Emails, planning events for January, a lot things that are difficult to do effectively when I meet with students for the entire day, so that’s kinda what I’ve been working on … and updating the website a little bit, too.

Cool. So what’s your official title?

College adviser or education specialist.

What program are you involved in?

The Georgia College Advising Corps. We’re a part of a national nonprofit organization which seeks to really increase access for first-generation, low-income, underrepresented students and groups. It’s really fun! I’m part of the Georgia chapter, which is the Institute of Higher Ed. at UGA. Most of us are UGA graduates.

And what’s your favorite part about your job?

Oh, it’s odd. I feel like I’m a working paradox some of the time. I enjoy the relationship building, but I also enjoy a lot of the behind-the-scenes work, to be honest. My passion is writing, and it’s really fun to kind of sit back and think about my experiences, to write about them. I think there’s some level of introspection that I do enjoy about this job because I’m learning about different ways that I can express what I’ve learned creatively in my writing. I’ve learned a lot about who I am through this job, and I’ve enjoyed that.

When are you the happiest?

Interesting. I think often times, it’s me thinking or having conversations with God. Honestly, that’s probably the happiest I ever am … and then also being in nature because I have this very conscious awareness of the fact that I am a part of something larger–—that I’m connected. I see relationships that also work in nature, and that makes me feel as though I have a place. I’m more centered and open, and I realize that relationships can’t exist in isolation. You know?  I think that’s really helpful for me just getting throught the day. So yeah, that’s when I’m the happiest.

Favorite food?

Oh gosh … This is really difficult.

THIS is the most difficult question?

Yeah, this is really hard, honestly. This is very hard for me because I love food, I really do, and I really love ethnic food, so this is … goodness, this is really hard. I love curry. Um, I dunno. This is a little odd because I grew up in a household where my dad was in the military. We moved to different cities within a state, those sorts of things, and I think from their time living out west and really being exposed to so many cultures … I dunno. My dad would always bring home kimchi, and my mom just really loved Thai food. So that’s just what I grew up loving ‘til this day! Being vegan, I feel like ethnic dishes—

VEGAN?? Wow.

Yeah! Anyway, ethnic food is just so delicious. There are so many more options! You know, burgers … that’s fine. I do that sometimes, but I just really enjoy curry, I think. That’s probably one of my favorites.